Why is Romulus wet?

[alpha_leonis]

So if the Romulan species is descended from Vulcans -- if their origin is on the planet Vulcan which is (or was, depending on timeline) a hot, dry world ...

Why did the Vulcan "non-Surakian" descendants choose to settle on a temperate, oceanic world? Why not choose a warmer, dryer place that was more hospitable to their species' biology?

 

[C.E. Evans]

Where was Romulus established as a oceanic world?


I think an oceanic world is one that is mostly ocean, but Romulus could have oceans smaller than Earth's for all we know.

 

[Green Shirt]

They left for a literal change of scenery.

 

[alpha_leonis]

Where was Romulus established as a oceanic world?


I think an oceanic world is one that is mostly ocean, but Romulus could have oceans smaller than Earth's for all we know.

"Nemesis" put the Romulan Senate chamber right next to an ocean. (Or at least a very large lake.) Looked like Earth-like blue skies as well, which implies (to me) a wetter climate than Vulcan.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Most planets have a wetter climate than Vulcan.

 

[Melakon]

The capital city we saw is just one small part of the entire planet. That doesn't mean the whole planet has the same climate and terrain.

 

[BillJ]

So if the Romulan species is descended from Vulcans -- if their origin is on the planet Vulcan which is (or was, depending on timeline) a hot, dry world ...

Why did the Vulcan "non-Surakian" descendants choose to settle on a temperate, oceanic world? Why not choose a warmer, dryer place that was more hospitable to their species' biology?

Perhaps they didn't have a choice?

 

[AgentCoop]

Well, it probably depends on what we mean by "oceanic". Earth is roughly 70% water. Is Earth an "oceanic" planet?

 

[Timo]

We have seen two round citadels apparently established at the estuaries of medium-sized rivers that flow into largish bodies of water - one in TNG, one in ST:NEM. Possibly two different cities... Although if we squint enough, they could be one and the same. I could easily see Romulans fighting a lot over such real estate, as they would be used to fighting for fresh water, so the citadel walls make sense even for a high-tech culture - it must be traditional.

We have also seen Romulus from orbit, in ST:NEM.

http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/nemesishd/nemesishd0024.jpg

Vulcan, too, has smallish bodies of open water, as in "Unification":

http://tng.trekcore.com/hd/albums/season-5/5x07/unification-part-i-hd-027.jpg

ENT provides further examples of such. But it's clear Vulcan has much smaller seas. (Also, the wide variety of planetary models used to depict Vulcan suggests lots of seasonal changes, perhaps involving changes in the size or even presence of these seas.)

Why not choose a warmer, dryer place that was more hospitable to their species' biology?

Vulcans are supposedly not native to planet Vulcan, but transplanted by Sargon's people as per "Return to Tomorrow". We don't know the extent of their adaptations to life on Vulcan (and whether those evolved naturally, were installed by Sargonites, or were part and parcel of the original Vulcan survival gear for some other type of climate). For all we know, Vulcan has always been hell to Vulcans, and Romulans decided to settle on paradise instead.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The similarity of a planet's features to Earth tends to correlate highly with how friendly a race they appear to be. So Betazed has green gardens and expansive blue lakes, Bajor has beautiful green forests, Romulus has fire-falls, and Ferenginar has mud and insects.

 

[F. King Daniel]

So if the Romulan species is descended from Vulcans -- if their origin is on the planet Vulcan which is (or was, depending on timeline) a hot, dry world ...

Why did the Vulcan "non-Surakian" descendants choose to settle on a temperate, oceanic world? Why not choose a warmer, dryer place that was more hospitable to their species' biology?

Perhaps intentionally, because they wanted a fresh start and nothing to remind them of their former home.

Or maybe, it's the only planet they had the fuel to reach?

 

[-Brett-]

The similarity of a planet's features to Earth tends to correlate highly with how friendly a race they appear to be. So Betazed has green gardens and expansive blue lakes, Bajor has beautiful green forests, Romulus has fire-falls, and Ferenginar has mud and insects.

The Klingons are friendly and their world still looks like a shit hole.

 

[OpenMaw]

The Klingons are friendly and their world still looks like a shit hole.

The fact that they are on the verge of war pretty much all the time would seem to indicate otherwise... Or are you being very dryly sarcastic?

 

[eyeresist]

The aridity of Vulcan was probably a cause of the wars that were only ended by the discipline of logic. By moving to a more bountiful planet, Romulans were free to be more emotional (more normal, if you like).

 

[TheSubCommander]

So if the Romulan species is descended from Vulcans -- if their origin is on the planet Vulcan which is (or was, depending on timeline) a hot, dry world ...

Why did the Vulcan "non-Surakian" descendants choose to settle on a temperate, oceanic world? Why not choose a warmer, dryer place that was more hospitable to their species' biology?

Because:

Vulcan was too hot.
Remus was too cold.
Romulus was just right.

 

[MikeS]

Perhaps the weather conditions are what have caused them to be so angry. I know I get moody when the weather is bad.

But seriously. This is the answer...

The capital city we saw is just one small part of the entire planet. That doesn't mean the whole planet has the same climate and terrain.

 

[scotpens]

. . .Vulcans are supposedly not native to planet Vulcan, but transplanted by Sargon's people as per "Return to Tomorrow".

A possibility suggested by Spock in that episode. Not canonical by a long shot.

 

[dswynne1]

. . .Vulcans are supposedly not native to planet Vulcan, but transplanted by Sargon's people as per "Return to Tomorrow".

A possibility suggested by Spock in that episode. Not canonical by a long shot.

Actually, a very good possibility, considering there are Volcanoids on the planet Mentak (as seen in TNG's "Who Watches the Watchers").

 

[Sci]

. . .Vulcans are supposedly not native to planet Vulcan, but transplanted by Sargon's people as per "Return to Tomorrow".

A possibility suggested by Spock in that episode. Not canonical by a long shot.

Actually, a very good possibility, considering there are Volcanoids on the planet Mentak (as seen in TNG's "Who Watches the Watchers").

I don't see the Mentakans as evidence for Vulcans being descended from the Sargonians any more than I see the Ardanians or Betazoids as evidence for an extra-terrestrial origin for Humans. They're just species that evolved along near-identical lines, that's all; happens all the time in the Star Trek Universe.

Meanwhile:

For whatever it's worth, the novel Spock's World explores the history of Vulcan, including its prehistory. The novel depicts the era of the early modern Vulcans -- the Vulcan equivalents of Cro-Magnum Men -- as having been lust and temperate until the planet was scorched by a terrible solar flare, rendering it a desert world. So, if we were to accept that prehistory for Vulcan, it would make perfect sense that the "anti-Surakians" (whom Spock's World depicts as having been the followers of S'Task, the disciple of Surak who betrayed him) would chose a lush and temperate world to settle. After all -- Vulcans evolved on a much lusher planet, and it was only very late in their evolution that their world became so inhospitable.

 

[Timo]

A possibility suggested by Spock in that episode. Not canonical by a long shot.

It sounds as if Spock sees Sargonian influence as a possible explanation for the acknowledged mystery of Vulcans clearly not being native to Vulcan...

And it does sound as if Spock would think of Sargonians as his actual ancestors - he acknowledges Sargonian influence as a possibility right after Kirk denies Sargonians could have been mankind's Adam and Eve, so it's likely Spock also considers Sargonians Vulcan's Adam and Ave, and not, say, Vulcan's Yahweh.

They're just species that evolved along near-identical lines, that's all; happens all the time in the Star Trek Universe.

...Speaking of which, we have seen humanoid species that cope with somewhat different circumstances, but we have not seen species that would not thrive on Earth. Vulcans make do with living on a desert, but as far as we can tell, there's nothing in their biology that would make them happier in a desert than in a jungle.

Timo Saloniemi