hydrosphere Flashcards
Refers to the total amount of water on Earth’s surface, including oceans, seas,
lakes, rivers, groundwater, and even water
vapor in the atmosphere.
o It plays a crucial role in Earth’s geophysical, ecological, and atmospheric processes.
HYDROSPHERE
3 HYDROSPHERE Water State
Liquid Water:
Solid Water:
Gaseous Water:
This is the most visible form,
found in oceans, rivers, lakes, and underground
as groundwater.
Liquid Water:
In the form of ice and snow, especially at the
polar ice caps and in mountainous regions.
Solid Water:
Water vapor is present in the atmosphere,
contributing to weather patterns through processes like
evaporation and condensation.
Gaseous Water:
is the largest and deepest of
the four ocean basins.
It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to
the Southern Ocean in the south.
Pacific Ocean
is characterized by the
presence of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with
a high level of seismic and volcanic activity.
Pacific Ocean
is the second-largest ocean
basin.
It separates the Americas from Europe and
Africa.
Atlantic Ocean:
a mountain range
running down the center of the Atlantic, is a
notable feature of this ocean.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
The Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic
Ocean meet at a geographic point known as
______ located at the southern tip of South
America.
Cape Horn
The waters of the Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans have distinct ___________________ characteristics, which prevent them
from easily mixing.
temperature, salinity, and
density
the third-largest ocean
basin. It is located between Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Indian subcontinent.
Indian Ocean
known for its monsoon
winds, which influence the climate of the
surrounding regions.
Indian Ocean
is the youngest and
smallest of the four ocean basins.
➢ It surrounds Antarctica and is sometimes
considered an extension of the other oceans
rather than a separate basin.
Southern (or Antarctic) Ocean
is characterized by strong
westerly winds and the Antarctic Circumpolar
Current.
Southern Ocean
The ocean can be divided into
horizontal and vertical zones,
2 zones in the Horizontal Zones:
Coastal Zone:
Pelagic Zone:
This zone extends from the shoreline to the continental shelf, where the
ocean floor gradually slopes downward. It is the area where land and sea
meet, characterized by high levels of productivity, diverse habitats, and
significant human activity.
Coastal Zone:
encompasses all open ocean waters, away from the
coast and extending downward from the surface to the ocean depths. It is
further divided vertically into several subzones based on depth and light
penetration.
Pelagic Zone:
5 zones under the vertical zones
Epipelagic Zone (Sunlight Zone):
Mesopelagic Zone (Twilight Zone):
Bathypelagic Zone (Midnight Zone):
Abyssopelagic Zone (Abyssal Zone):
Hadalpelagic Zone (Trenches):
This zone extends from the ocean’s
surface down to around 200 meters. It
receives ample sunlight, supporting
photosynthesis and the growth of
phytoplankton. It is home to a wide
variety of marine life, including fish,
sharks, dolphins, and marine mammals.
Epipelagic Zone (Sunlight Zone):
Found between depths of 200 to 1000
meters, the _________ receives
minimal sunlight, resulting in dim light
conditions. Organisms here have adapted
to low light levels, and many species
migrate vertically to feed at the surface at
night.
Mesopelagic Zone (Twilight Zone):
Extending from 1000 to 4000 meters
deep, the bathypelagic zone is
characterized by complete darkness and
extreme pressure. Many species in this
zone have bioluminescent adaptations
and feed on organic debris sinking from
above.
Bathypelagic Zone (Midnight Zone):
spans depths of
4000 to 6000 meters. It is one of the
Earth’s most remote and least explored
environments, with sparse life forms
adapted to extreme cold, darkness, and
high pressure.
Abyssopelagic Zone (Abyssal Zone):
