1. Ch 6 - Earth and Space
The Hydrosphere

3. Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere is the part of the Earth that contains water in all its states: liquid, solid, and gas
Lakes, rivers, oceans, glaciers, etc.
97.5% of all water is salt water
2.5% of all water is fresh water
Of this 2.5%, 79% of fresh water is trapped and frozen in glaciers
21% of freshwater is available as lakes, rivers and ground water

5. Inland Water
Def’n: Bodies of freshwater found on continents. Contains rivers, lakes and groundwater.
The study of these different waters is divided into catchment areas or watersheds

6. Catchment Area - Watersheds
Def’n: A part of land where all inland waters will drain and flow into the same larger body of water
Also called drainage basin

9. Pollutants
More catchment areas a river has, the more polluted the water can become.

10. Aspects which affect a watershed
How easily can water flow across a surface?
Topography: natural and artificial features of the area
Geology: rocks
Climate
Vegetation
Agriculture

11. Cryosphere
Def’n: The crysophere consists of all frozen water on the Earth’s surface
Pack ice, glaciers, frozen lakes and rivers, snow and permafrost
Cryo from Greek meaning icy cold

12. Pack Ice
Huge slabs of ice floating on water. Smaller, free-floating sheets of ice are called ice floes.
Generally found in the Artic Ocean near Russia and around Antartica
Content and location: freshwater, floating in water

14. Shrinking

15. Glaciers A mass of ice on land, formed by compressed snow
Large glaciers are called ice caps or ice sheets
Note: 79% of freshwater is contained in glaciers
Content and location: freshwater, on land

16. Icebergs (enrichment)
A piece of a glacier that has broken off and floats into open water
Breaking off:
It can melt away or can freeze into pack ice
Iceberg flipping over:

18. Oceans The study of oceans involves two important parameters: Why?
Water temperature
Salinity
Why?
They influence ocean circulation

19. Ocean Circulation The Gulf Stream Explained

20. The Ocean Large masses of salt water Two types of currents
Surface currents: driven mostly by wind
Subsurface currents (deep currents) aka thermohaline circulation: driven by water density differences due to temperature and water

21. Surface Currents About 400 m deep : Gulfstream Wind driven
Affected by rotation of the Earth

22. Subsurface Currents – Thermohaline Circurlation
Caused by density of water
Huge conveyer belt that connects surface and subsurface
Distributes heat around the world

23. Water temperature is influenced by:
Latitude
Where the ocean is located on the Earth relative to the equator influences the average temperature.
Map of surface temperatures.
Red = warmer. Blue = cooler
Approx °C near the equator
Approx °C in temperate zones

25. Factors that Affect Ocean Circulation
Subsurface currents are driven by differences in density due to temperature and salinity.
Cold water is denser and sinks
Warm water is lighter and rises
Salt differences
Salty water is denser and sinks
Less salty water is less dense and rises

26. Polar Equator

27. Most dense water: Cold and salty Less dense water: Warm and less salty

28. Pack Ice + Glaciers?
As the ice melts, the water is less salty which makes it less dense. The water will no longer sink to the bottom.

31. A) Location 1 will be the most affected, since the flow of water will carry the toxic substance into the lake.
B) Location 2 will be only slightly affected, since the current will prevent the toxic substance from accumulating.
C) Because of the terrain, only location 3 will be affected.
D) Location 4 will be affected the most, since it is downstream from the spill