1. Water on Earth
The Hydrosphere

2. Water Demonstration
1000 ml of water represents ALL water on the Earth.
Model:
A limited REPRESENTATION of an object used to help us UNDERSTAND its structure or how it works.

3. Saltwater Vs. Freshwater
Salt water: 972 ml
Freshwater: 28 ml
OF THAT 28 ml
Ice Caps and Glaciars ml
Groundwater: 4 ml
Lakes and rivers: 2 drops
Soil and Air: 1 drop

4. Water Distribution on Earth
Water covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface (USGS).
Most of this water (97%) is not drinkable because it is saltwater.
The majority of freshwater (3%) exists in ice caps and glaciers % of the freshwater is frozen.
The remaining water on Earth is stored underground, in lakes and rivers, and in the atmosphere.

5. Freshwater sources Water as Ice
Icebergs: a large piece of freshwater ice floating in open waters
Glaciers: any large mass of ice that moves slowly over land
Permafrost: permanent snow areas also “house” water as ice

6. Glacier

7. Iceberg

8. Permafrost

9. Water in the air
Water is stored in the air as water vapor and in clouds- It comes down as rain (water cycle)

10. Water in the ground
Groundwater: water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, and rocks.
*** People use aquifers for drinking and irrigation
Aquifer: a layer of saturated rock underground that can be tapped for a well.

11. Groundwater
From:

12. Water on Land
Lakes and Ponds: enclosed bodies of water- Ponds are smaller and allow light to reach the bottom.

13. Wetlands
Wetland: An area where the water table is at, near or above the land surface long enough during the year to support adapted plant growth
Swamp: a wetland dominated by trees
Bogs: a wetland dominated by peat moss
Marshes: a wetland dominated by grasses

14. Wetlands

15. Rivers and River Basins
River: A large channel along which water is continually flowing down a slope—made of many streams that come together
Little rivers that flow into a big one are called tributaries
River Basin: All the land that surrounds and drains into a specific river. The water on this land drains into the main river.
***Rivers run into the Ocean

16. Rivers and River Basins
Everyone lives in a river basin- even if you live nowhere near a river.
There are 17 river basins in NC
River basins are divided by topography.
Divide: The point between two river basins that separates one basin from another. The divide is a high area.

17. River Basins inNC
works/stormwater-management/local-watersheds-water-quality/cape-fear-river- basin

18. River Basins
In what ways do you think your actions affect river basins in North Carolina?

19. Estuaries Estuary: areas where freshwater and saltwater mix.
The somewhat salty and somewhat fresh water is brackish
The largest estuary in North Carolina is the Pamlico Sound.
Water drains into the Pamlico Sound eastern NC and from southeastern Va. The estuary is fed from the Chowan, Roanoke, Pasquotank, Pamlico, and Neuse Rivers

20. Estuaries Estuaries are important for several reasons:
Environmental filters
Great environment for life
Prevents Erosion protecting the coastline.
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21. Estuaries as filters
Plants and animals in estuaries filter pollutants out of the water.
Marsh plants trap some chemicals and pathogens carried by rivers and move them into soils to be neutralized
Oysters filter water as they eat- one oyster can filter 25 gallons of water each day!
Bacteria eat organic matter and then provide CO2, hydrogen sulfate, and methane into the atmosphere

22. Estuaries as environments for life
In an estuary, nutrients and sediment from rivers and oceans are trapped and constantly mixed. This causes a great environment for life.
Plant growth is promoted
Sunlight reaches the bottom, allowing for photosynthesis
Nutrients are constantly supplied in sediment from the rivers

23. Estuaries are environments for life
Because of the abundant plant life- it is a great environment for animal life
Tall grasses can shelter baby animals from predators and give them a safe place to grow into adults and make the journey to the sea
Many species adapt to the estuaries and are not found anywhere else.

24. Estuaries Estuaries reduce erosion and flooding on the mainland
Plants and shellfish anchor the shore against the tide
Swamps and marshes take the initial impact of high winds moving in from the ocean, soak up heavy rain and storm surges, and release the extra water gradually into rivers and groundwater supplies.

25. Threats to Estuaries
Toxins can accumulate in estuaries causing environmental and health problems
Chemical pollution
Sedimentation