Earth ‘s Water Hydrosphere

Two thirds (71%) of our planet is covered by water. 97.5% of the water is saltwater (found in oceans). Only 3% of the water on Earth is Freshwater The majority of freshwater is beyond our reach, locked into polar snow and ice. Only about 1% is available for consumption. Two thirds (71%) of our planet is covered by water. 97.5% of the water is saltwater (found in oceans). Only 3% of the water on Earth is Freshwater The majority of freshwater is beyond our reach, locked into polar snow and ice. Only about 1% is available for consumption. How is water distributed on earth?

What is Salt water? Salt water is water that contains dissolved salts and other minerals. The water of the seas and oceans is salty Most human beings and other land animals can not survive by drinking salt water.

Fresh water is water that is not salty and has little or no taste, color or smell Lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams are freshwater habitats. So too are swamps, bogs, and marshes. What is Fresh Water?

Water is amazing because it can exist in various forms on Earth Solid Liquid Gas

How is water moved and maintained on Earth? The unending circulation of the earth’s water is called the hydrologic or water cycle. The water present on the earth today is the same water that was formed with the planet itself. The amount of water cannot be increased or decreased.

What processes drive the Water cycle Evaporation is when water heats up and changes from liquid to vapor (Gas). Condensation is when water vapor in the atmosphere cool to become a liquid. Precipitation is when water that falls from the clouds. Examples are rain, sleet, hail, and snow.

What is a divide? The divide is a ridge that allows water to flow in different directions.

What is a drainage basin? A drainage basin is a an area where all of the water on one side of a divide flows.

Watershed A watershed is a geographic area in which all water running off the land drains to a specific creek, river or stream

Watershed vs. Basin A basin is a large-scale watershed, such as the St. Lawrence River basin

What is lake Turnover? Lake turnover is the result of the rising and sinking of cold and warm water layers. The denser water is heavier and will be at the bottom of a lake while the less dense water is lighter and will generally be at the top of the lake. During spring and summer the sun heats the top layer of a lake which causes it to become less dense. The bottom layer of the lake does not receive sunlight and therefore remains cold. Since the top layer of the lake is less dense, it floats on top of the bottom layer and the two do not mix. In the fall and winter the sunlight is not as strong and the nights become cooler. The top layer of the lake cools off, becomes heavy and sinks. This sinking pushes nutrients and minerals up from the bottom of lake..

What is eutrophication? The increase of nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) in a lake or pond due to the additions of fertilizers or sewage. This causes a decrease in the oxygen level due to increase of scum or phytoplankton in the water.phytoplankton This eventually kills fish and other organisms.

Water Pollution

What is groundwater? Water that is held underground because it has soaked into the ground and percolated (water that is filter by porous rocks)

A mass of ice floating in the ocean is called an iceberg. Icebergs start out as part of a glazier. Thousands of icebergs break off from ice sheets every year.

Permeability pore spaces allow a liquid to flow through it. What Properties of Earth’s Materials Allow Them to Absorb Water? Impermeable pore spaces are so close that water can not flow through it

What is the Water Table? Zone of aeration pore spaces contain mostly air Zone of saturation pore spaces contain mostly water Water table the top of the zone of Saturation

Underground bed or permeable rock layer that contains ground water for wells and springs etc… Types Artesian well- water flow to the surface naturally because it is under pressure Spring - water that flows to the surface of the earth from underground. It's a site where the aquifer surface meets the ground surface. What is an aquifer?

Water is essential to life on earth.

What is an aquifer?