The Hydrosphere, Freshwater Distribution, and the Water Cycle

What is the hydrosphere?

The Hydrosphere The hydrosphere includes all water on or near the Earth’s surface This includes water in the oceans, lakes, rivers, wetlands, polar ice caps, soil, rock layers beneath Earth’s surface, and clouds 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water

The Earth’s Water 97.2% of all of the water on Earth is found in the oceans Due to the salt content of ocean water, we are unable to use it Salt water can be cleaned by a process known as desalination This leaves only 2.8% of the Earth’s water as freshwater Only 0.8% of which is drinkable

Freshwater Distribution The 2.8% of freshwater is divided into: Glaciers and Ice Caps = 2.15% Groundwater = 0.62% Surface Water = 0.03%

Surface Water Distribution The 0.03% of surface water is divided into: Lakes = 0.017% Soil = 0.005% Atmosphere = 0.001% This refers to water vapor in the air Streams = 0.0001%

The previous percentages referred to all the world’s water but it can be adjusted to reflect percentages based on a 100% scale

The Water Cycle Water constantly moves among the oceans, the atmosphere, the solid Earth, and the biosphere. This unending circulation of Earth’s water supply is the water cycle

Steps of the Water Cycle Accumulation _____________________ – the process in which water pools in large bodies (like oceans, seas and lakes) _____________________ – the process in which water vapor (a gas) in the air turns into liquid water Process by which water forms clouds in the sky Process by which water drops form on the outside of a glass of icy water on a hot day _____________________ – the process in which liquid water becomes water vapor (a gas) Water vaporizes from the surfaces of oceans and lakes, from the surface of the land, and from melts in snow fields Condensation Evaporation

Steps of the Water Cycle Precipitation _____________________ – the process in which water (in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail) falls from clouds in the sky _____________________ – the draining away of water (or substances carried in it) from the surface of an area  _____________________ – the process in which some water within plants evaporates into the atmosphere Water is first absorbed by the plant's roots, then later exits by evaporating through pores in the plant. Runoff Transpiration

Condensation Condensation Precipitation Transpiration Runoff Evaporation Accumulation

Water Cycle Animation In the animation, what step of the water cycle does the rain correspond to? Are there other items in the animation that correspond to steps of the water cycle? http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html