Chapter 10 - Hydrosphere Flashcards
What is the hydrosphere? /2
The Earth’s outer layer of water in all its states :liquid, gas, solid
The combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet
What percent of the Earth's hydrosphere is: /4 Fresh water? Salt water? Frozen in glaciers? Lakes,rivers and groundwater?
Fresh water: 2.5%
Salt water: 97.5%
Glaciers: 79% (has decreased due to climate change)
Lakes, rivers, groundwater: 21%
What are watersheds? /2
An area of land in which all inland waters drain into the same larger body of water
Preserve inland waters
How are the limits of a watersheds determined?
By the natural boundaries and land elevation/slope formed by nearby montaisons, hills, or other high ground
What are watershed divides?
The natural slope of the land which causes the waters to flow in the same direction
What are subwatersheds?
The land that drains to a specific watershed.
What factors affect the flow of water in watersheds? /5
Topography Geology Climate Vegetation Urbanization
What is topography? How does it affect water flow? /2
The shape, slope and terrain of the area
Steeper the slope, the easier the water flow
What is geology? How does it affect water flow? /2
The type, depth and structure of the rock.
Water flows more easily through the holes and gaps in crushed rock rather than compact clay
What is climate? How does it affect water flow? /2
Rain, snowfall, winds and temperature
Water flows more quickly after a rain shower than during a drought
Why does water flow easier during a rainfall? How does it affect water flow? /2
Water that falls in a watershed will eventually drain by the outflow point.
So the rainfall pushed the water to the watershed
What is vegetation? How does it affect water flow? /2
The density and diversity of plant life
Wooded area near riverbanks cause water flow to decrease
How does urbanization affect water flow?
A dam can prevent water from flowing freely
What are the 5 main oceans? /5
Atlantic Pacific Antarctic/ Southern Ocean Arctic Indian
How does the depth of an ocean affect its temperature? /3
The deeper the ocean water, the further it is from the sunlight that warms up the water, causing it to be colder the further down you go.
If depth of an ocean increases, the temperature will decrease
If depth decrease, temperature increases
What are the 3 layers of the ocean? /3
Mixed layer
Thermocline
Deep water
What is the mixed layer? /2
Had a depth of under 200m
Is heated by the sunlight
What is thermocline? /3
Has a depth of either 200m or more
No solar energy
Cold transition zone
What is the deep water? /5
Over 1000m in depth
Cold
Very dark
Salty
The deeper you go the colder it gets
What affect do the seasons have in the ocean? /3
Oceans lose some heat during the winter season
Causes:
Water to lose more heat easily
Less pronounced temperature differences at sea than at land
Where is the ocean warmer? Colder? (Regarding latitude) /2
Warmer at the equator than in temperate zones
Colder at the poles (North and South)
What is salinity?
A measure of the amount of salt dissolved in a liquid
Why is the ocean salty? /2
Saltwater is formed due to the seawater continually pounding against rocks in the lithosphere
This leads to the salt (NaCl) to dissolve in the water
Can salt evaporate once dissolved in the ocean?
NO!
What is the result of salt not being able to evaporate with the water?
When evaporation occurs the salt gets left behind causing a salt concentration in the water.
What is the issue regarding salinity in the ocean due to climate change? /2
Climate change causes glaciers to melt and dilute the seawater
How?
|-> because glaciers are made of fresh water
What is ocean circulation?
The combined effect of all currents that move across the oceans
What is an ocean current? /2
The movement of seawater in a certain direction
Ex. Waves
Tides
What direction does the temperature flow in the ocean?
Up and down
What are surface currents? /3
Caused by the wind
Move horizontally
Found in the first 400m of water below the surface
What are subsurface currents? /3
Deep currents
Found 800m or more below the ocean surface
Caused by variations in density between layers of water
What is the relation between density and temperature? /2
As temperature decreases so does volume causing a higher density
If temperature decreases, density increases
What happens to the water at the poles regarding temperature and density?
Water st the pole sis cold and sinks to the bottom of the ocean floor
What is the relation between salinity and density?
If salinity increases, density increases
What is the low and high salinity of water? /2
Low: 1g of salt per 1L of water
High: 35g of salt per 1L of water
How are surface and subsurface currents connected? /2
They are connected by Thermohaline Circulation
Like a huge conveyor belt of ocean currents
What is Thermohaline circulation? /5
The constant motion of ocean waters
Caused by waves, tides and ocean currents all around the world
Moves warm surface waters downward
Forces cold, nutrient-rich water upward
Essential in regulating the Earth’s climate
What direction do ocean currents follow? /2
From the equator to the poles
From warm to cold
What is pack ice? /3
Composed of the ice floating on the oceans near the North and South poles
Huge slabs of ice created by the upper layer of ocean water making contact with the cold air
Melting due to global warming (greenhouse effect)
What are glaciers? /2
A mass of ice in land formed by compressed snow
When melted, causes the ocean’s salinity to decrease
