Every year, a manufacturer of personal deodorants releases a list of sweatiest cities, with El Paso one of the listees. Though obviously nothing more than a public relations ploy, we could ask what really is meant by the sweatiest place. Part, as always, depends on the definition. Does it mean the amount of sweat on the skin? Or does it mean the amount of sweat produced? The two are not the same, though often confused.
El Pasoans defend their climate by noting that it's a dry heat. As
a result, the skin often is dry as the desert, especially compared to that in, say,
Houston. What often is not appreciated, however, is that this doesn't mean
you're not sweating; it just means your copious sweat is evaporating as fast as
it's emitted. It also means it's doing its job, which is to keep you relatively
cool, whereas in high-humidity areas, the liquid accumulates, unable to evaporate and
unable to efficiently cool the body. We may find the so-called "contest"
laughable, but certainly can't claim that it's dry humor.
Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.
Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.