1. The Hydrosphere and the Water Cycle
Lesson 1
The Hydrosphere and the Water Cycle 1

2. The Hydrosphere: An Overview…
1. The hydrosphere is…
the water on and in Earth’s crust
a. The percentage of water found in the oceans… 97
We don’t call ourselves the Blue Planet for nothing!
The percentage of water contained by the landmasses… 3

3. Of the Freshwater on Earth…
b. 90% is in the form of…
polar ice caps and glaciers
Most of the remaining water is…
groundwater
Only a small fraction is in…
rivers, streams, and lakes

4. The World’s Water Supply…
Oceans – 97.2% - thousands of years
Ice caps and glaciers – 2.15% - tens of thousands of years
Groundwater - .31% - hundreds to thousands of years
Lakes % - tens of years
Atmosphere % - nine days!
Rivers and streams % - two weeks

5. Runoff… Runoff is… water flowing down slope along Earth’s surface 5 5

6. 2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…
a. Little to No Vegetation…
B/C topsoil is easily eroded so that water runs off easier 6

7. 2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…
b. Heavy rain…
B/C rain falls too quickly to soak into the ground 7

8. 2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…
c. Soil with a lot of clay…
B/C clay has small air spaces that prevents water from soaking in 8

9. 2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…
d. Steep Slope…
B/C gravity causes the water to flow off faster 9

10. 2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…
e. High ground- water levels…
B/C there is no space left for the water to soak in underground. 10

11. Watersheds and Stream Systems…
1. A stream is runoff water that begins to flow more permanently in a channel.
A large stream is called a river.
The smaller streams that feed into it are called tributaries 11

12. The Rivers of North Carolina…12

13. Watersheds and Divides…
2. A watershed is all of the land area whose water drains into a stream system. 13

14. Watersheds and Divides…
3. A divide is a high land area that separates one watershed from another.
The Eastern Continental Divide is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. 14

15. Divides of North America… 15

16. Watersheds and Divides…
4. The watershed of the Mississippi River is the largest watershed in North America! 16

17. Lesson 2
Surface Water: Rivers 17

18. Stream Systems: Beginning…
Stream Systems: Beginning…
Headwaters are… the beginning of a stream
Found in mountains
Water is cold, oxygenated, clear
V-shaped channels
have steep sides.
The Grand Canyon is a V- shaped valley. 18

19. Stream Systems: Middle…
2. What is a floodplain?
… a broad, flat, fertile area next to a stream that floods periodically
… It is not wise to build on a floodplain b/c it is prone to flooding!

20. Stream Systems: Middle…
a. A meander is a…
bend or curve in a stream channel 20

21. Erosion & Deposition in Stream Systems (Add to notes)
Water (in a stream) flows fastest on outside of a meander & erodes a cut bank.
Water (in a stream) flows slowest on inside of a meander & deposits a sandbar. 21

22. Meandering Streams – A Diagram22

23. Oxbow Lakes… a blocked-off meander
b. An oxbow lake is…
a blocked-off meander
We have our very own oxbow lake in the Carolinas – in the Congaree National Park just outside of Columbia, SC. 23

24. Stream Systems: The End!…
3. The end of a stream is called the mouth
… and is usually located at the ocean or another large body of water 24

25. A Stream’s End: Deposition of Sediment…
Streams lose their ability to carry sediment
…b/c they slow down & lose energy
b. A delta is a triangular deposit that forms at the mouth of a river.
c. Pollution at the end of a river comes from upstream. The end is almost always more polluted! 25

26. Floods… when water overflows a stream’s banks 1. When do floods occur?26

27. Floods… How are floods related to groundwater levels?
… It is more likely to flood when groundwater levels are high
… b/c the aquifer is already full and can only hold so much water.
… the dotted line on the diagram represents the groundwater level.

28. Floods… 3. Which agency monitors potential flood conditions?
The National Weather Service monitors changing weather conditions.
USGS has established gauging station on more than 4400 streams in the USA! 28

29. Lesson 3
Lakes 29

30. Lakes… 1. What are lakes often associated with?
River basins (watersheds)
Why are lakes important?
control flooding, recreation, drinking water, habitats
What human activities pollute lakes?
Coal-fired power plants, agriculture (crops & animals), stormwater runoff 30

31. Dams! 2. Dams are built to store & manage water.
a. The water of a reservoir is used for… drinking & hydropower. b. The negative consequences of building a dam include… destruction of habitats (around the dam) & water quality changes downstream (colder and clearer). c. Dams… trap sediments which prevent sandbars from forming downstream. d. Dams are removed… if they’re no longer useful or are causing damage.

32. Lakes Undergo Change… 1. How do lakes get polluted?
When water runs off polluted surfaces into the lake
Sources of pollution – sediments, agriculture, industry
2. Agriculture affects lakes by…
Adding pesticides, fertilizers, & animal wastes 32

33. Lakes Undergo Change…
3. Eutrophication is…
excess nutrients “fertilize” algae which use up O2 in the lake as they decay 33

34. Eutrophication… Algae – producers for aquatic environments.
Oxygen – used up (as algae decays)
Critters need oxygen for – cellular respiration (breaking down food in presence of oxygen to get energy)
If fish don’t get oxygen – they die!
Human activities that speed up eutrophication – fertilizing, dumping (raw or treated) sewage into a waterway

35. Lakes Undergo Change… animal wastes & fertilizer from farms
f. Four things that can cause eutropication
animal wastes & fertilizer from farms
phosphate detergents
industrial toxins
untreated sewage 35

36. Lesson 4
Freshwater Wetlands 36

37. Boardwalk at Bethabara Park Our very own wetlands!
Freshwater Wetlands…
Add to notes!
A wetland is…
land that is soaked with water
Three examples of wetlands are…
bogs
marshes
swamps
Boardwalk at Bethabara Park Our very own wetlands! 37

38.
Bogs…
1. A bog is a water-soaked area with poor drainage.
Water in a bog comes from…
Precipitation (rain)
2. The soil in a bog is acidic because…
of decaying moss
slows bacterial growth & prevents nitrogen (N) recycling. 38

39. Bogs… 3. Interesting plants that live in a bog are the… Venus fly trap
Sun dew
Pitcher plants
These plants are carnivorous b/c of nutrient-poor soil of the bog. They must digest insects to obtain nitrogen. 39

40. 2. An estuary is a marsh on the coast where fresh and salt water mix.
Marshes…
2. An estuary is a marsh on the coast where fresh and salt water mix.
A marsh is a water-soaked area at the mouth of streams.
Fresh water marshes and estuaries often form…
Where a river enters a lake or sea
3. Marsh grasses have shallow roots that …
anchor silt and mud deposits in a delta. (Builds land!)
Brackish marsh near Wanchese, NC 40

41. Marshes… 4. Plants found in a marsh include… Grasses Reeds Sedges
Rushes
These plants provide shelter and food for aquatic larva. 41

42. Swamps… 1. A swamp is… a low-lying area near a stream
Swamps may develop from marshes that have filled in to support the growth of shrubs and trees.
Congaree National Park, SC 42

43. Swamps… 2. Trees that grow in a swamp include… mangrove trees
cypress trees 43

44. Environmental Issues: A Loss of Habitat…
1. Two valuable functions of wetlands …
the filtering of water
providing a habitat for migrating birds and fish fry (fish babies!)
2. What % of our wetlands were lost from the late 1700s to mid-1980s?
50 %
Why? 44

45. Environmental Issues: Upstream Drought…
3. A drought upstream …
… will lead to less fresh water entering the estuary and…
… saltier water 45

46. Environmental Issues: Saltwater Intrusion…
4. Overused wells in coastal areas …
… may draw up salt water from the ocean and …
… cause the water to become undrinkable. 46

47. Use, Abuse, and Conservation of Water Resources
Lesson 5
Use, Abuse, and Conservation of Water Resources

48. Review Only! Water Use: The Importance of Water
Four important uses of freshwater…
Agriculture, transportation, recreation, drinking!

49. The Importance of Water…
1. Eastern states get the most precipitation.
Eastern states - cooling, energy production, and manufacturing.
Western states - irrigation
2. Withdrawal rates of freshwater are increasing each year because…
…our population is growing!

50. Use of Water in the USA…

51. Water Pollution: Types of Pollution
Point sources …
…have a single point of origin (often through a pipe)
…Three examples include (but aren’t limited to)…
sewage
spills
Industry
Drainage into the Ohio River

52. Water Pollution: Types of Pollution…
Water Pollution: Types of Pollution…
2. Nonpoint sources …
… come from widely spread areas & can’t be identified & cleaned up easily.
… Two examples include (but aren’t limited to)…
Sedimentation is caused by runoff from a deforested area. It “muddies” the water & requires more energy to filter out of drinking water.
Stormwater runoff pollutes water with bacteria from sewage & chemicals from parking lots, roads, & development.

53. 3. Add to notes! Clean up…
Surface water is more easily polluted than groundwater but easier to clean up.

54. Evaluating Water Quality in NC Streams…
Where in a stream is water quality the poorest?
… at the mouth b/c the river picks up pollution along its way to the sea
… The Yadkin PeeDee River is cleanest at the headwaters near Blowing Rock, NC and most polluted at its mouth at Winyah Bay, SC.

55. Evaluating Water Quality in NC Streams…
2. What is the source of…
Phosphates – detergents
Nitrates – animal wastes & fertilizers
Arsenic – coal ash & industries such as Alcoa’s aluminum smelting plant

56. Evaluating Water Quality in NC Streams…
3. Physical Properties of NC Streams include… temperature, turbidity (muddiness), and pH.
Temperature is measured by thermometers.
Turbidity is measured using turbidity charts.

57. Evaluating Water Quality in NC Streams…
4. The biotic index is a method that uses types of organisms to determine water quality.
It is used… Count number of organisms within 4 groups with varying sensitivities to pollution.
Organisms on the index include… insect larva, crawfish, mussels/clams, leeches, snails.

58. Water Conservation How can we keep our river basin clean?
Think about the types of pollution that comes from our homes and school…
Community Water Conservation…
Farmers can use irrigation techniques like trickle irrigation to save water.
Industries can use recycled or gray water to save water.
See next slide…

59. 3. Personal Conservation: How can you and I conserve water in our homes and yards?