The Hydrosphere Ch. 4, Sec. 2

Water for Agriculture: Irrigation: –Artificial watering of crops

Water for Industry: Industrial uses: –Ingredient of products –Acts as a coolant & lubricant for machines –Power source (Hydroelectricity)

Hydroelectricity:

Water for Transportation: Most efficient method of moving bulk cargo

Threats to water supply: Over population & Pollution

Characteristics of H2O: Water = Earth’s ONLY substance that can exist as a,, or. Dissolves ALMOST anything over time –Chemical weathering Heats & cools slowly (moderates temps)

World water distribution: Oceans: 97% Frozen: >2% Freshwater: <1%

THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE: The circulation of water throughout the hydrosphere Water is ALWAYS changing form & location

What drives the hydrologic cycle? Solar Energy Wind Gravity

1) EVAPORATION:

2) CONDENSATION:

3) PRECIPITATION:

Precipitation can accumulate as snow or ice

4) RUNOFF of water thru rivers & streams, stored in lakes, & eventually returns to the ocean:

5) Also,the ground absorbs water.

6) TRANSPIRATION: Water vapor given off by plant leaves

7) EVAPOTRANSPIRATION: Combined evaporation of H2O from the ground w/transpiration by plants

Summary of Hydrologic Cycle: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation

1) Desalinization: The purification of salt water into fresh water

2) Headwaters: the first/smallest streams to form from runoff

3) TRIBUTARY: a smaller stream/river that flows into a larger stream/river

4) Watershed/Drainage Basin: area of land that is drained by a river & its tributaries

5) Estuary: Semi-enclosed body of freshwater & seawater (rich in fish & shellfish)

6) Delta: formed at the mouth of a river where sediment accumulates Mississippi River Delta (Bird’s foot delta) Nile River Delta (Arcuate delta)

7) Lake: body of water located in a basin surrounded by land on all sides Great Lakes Caspian Sea Crater Lake, OR Lake Baikal, Russia

8) GROUNDWATER: --water found below ground in spaces betw. rocks & soil

9) Water table: --the level at which all the spaces are filled w/water (the top of the saturated zone)

10) AQUIFER: --where groundwater flows thru layers of rocks

The Ogallala Aquifer: *Makes farming in the Great Plains possible *Water table dropping due to overconsumption

The Oceans: Cover 72% of Earth Divided into four oceans –Pacific (Earth’s biggest geographic feature) –Atlantic –Indian –Arctic (smallest) Depths vary…

The Mariana Trench: * subduction boundary *deepest place on Earth (>36,000 ft deep) Video

Continental Shelf: Where continental surfaces extend under the shallow ocean water around continents

Characteristics of Seawater 1) Contains every element 2) Salts are most common (3.5%) 3) Does not have temp extremes 4) Always circulating