Hydrosphere Flashcards
Includes all of the water on or near the earths surface
Hydrosphere
Is the continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean
Water cycle
All the oceans are joined in a single large interconnected body of water called
World ocean
Plays an important role in the regulation of the planets environment
World ocean
Earths ocean basins
Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic
Largest and deepest ocean single largest geographic feature on earth
Pacific
Half the size of the pacific
Atlantic
Smaller than the Atlantic but has the same average depth
Indian
7% the size of the pacific and 1/4 as deep as the other oceans
Arctic
It contains more salts
Ocean water
Difference between ocean water and fresh water
Ow contains more salt
Measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid, it can vary depending upon the amount of rain, temp, and freshwater that flows from the ocean
Salinity
Has a higher salinity because it is colder
Deep water
Absorb and store energy from sunlight which in turn regulates temp in earths atmosphere
World ocean
What happens if the oceans did not regulate atmospheric and surface temp.
Temp will be too extreme for life to exist here on earth
An episode occurring every 3 to 7 years of ocean warming that affects the eastern tropical pacific warm counter currents become usually strong and replace normally cold off shores with warm Equatorial waters. Marked by abnormal weather patterns in equator and Peru
El Niño
Surface conditions in eastern pacific are colder than average can increase hurricane activity
La Niña
Water that contains insignificant amounts of salts
Fresh water
How many percent does freshwater make up the earth?
3%
Where are most of the fresh waters locked up
Ice caps and glaciers while others are found in lakes rivers wetlands soil and atmosphere
A stream that empties into another stream
Tributaries
Most important agents of erosion
Streams; running waters
The ability of a stream to ______ and transport depends on its _____
Erode; velocity
Factors that determine velocity
Gradient channel characteristic, discharge
Slope or steepness of a stream channel. The steeper it is, the more energy the stream has as it flows downhill
Gradient
The course in water in a stream follows, as water flows it encounters friction from the sides and bottom. The amount of it is caused by its size, shape, and roughness
Channel characteristic
The volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given unit of time
Discharge
An act of following a winding course an aimless manner
Meandering
A large area that drains to the ocean
River basin
Example of a river basin
Catawba river basin
A smaller area that drains to a certain area
Watershed
A underground groundwater water source that we use
Aquifer
Expressive to pump and purify
Deep salty aquifer
Rain and melting snow sink into the ground and run off the land, most water trickles down through the ground and collects it as a
Groundwater
It makes up 1% of the earth it fulfills the human need for fresh drinking water and supplies agricultural and industrial need
Groundwater
Are all the freshwater sources found on the continents
Inland waters
An area of land in which inland waters drain into the same larger body of water also called catchment area or drainage basin
Watershed
Ex of watershed
St. Lawrence river
Factors that affect how water flow within a water shed
Topography, geology, climate, vegetation, development
Slope of the land;steep slopes drain easily and quickly
Topography
Type of rock; holes or gaps in rock and compact clay
Geology
Rainfall winds temperature
Climate
Highly vegetated areas that slow down water flow
Vegetation
A dam can prevent water from flowing merely
Development
Is all frozen water on the surface of the earth
Cryosphere
Composed of ice floating on the oceans near the north and south poles
Extent of pack ice changes with seasons
Due to the effect of global warming the extent of it is shrinking
Pack ice
A mass of ice on land formed by compressed snow
Contained 79% of earths water
Glacier
Largest glaciers are at the
Poles ex Greenland icecap
Smaller glaciers exist in
Mountain ranges ex bc and Alberta
Melting at a fast rate due to global warming
Glaciers
The melting of glaciers and pack ice may lead to
Rise in sea level and consequent flooding of low lying lands ex Florida
Ex of glacier
High alpine glacier
Energy resources from the hydrosphere
Hydroelectric dams
Energy derived from moving water
Hydraulic energy
Three main sources of hydraulic energy
Rivers, waves, ocean currents
Convert a hydraulic energy into electrical power
Water flowing through its turbines create electricity
Produce little greenhouse gases but cause large areas of flooding upstream
Release toxic mercury into the environment
Hydroelectric dam
Derives most of its electricity from hydro dams
Quebec
Example of hydro dams
James bay, sibulan Davao deal sur, maramag, bukidnon pulangi
What can be attached to turbines to create electrical energy
Buoys
Can harness ocean current energy much the same way a windmill operates
Underwater turbines
Most of these ideas are under the prototype stage
Waves and ocean currents
Human impact on the hydrosphere
Water pollution, fish kill, oil spill, North Pacific gyre
Pollution and degradation of water resources
Chemical pollution, thermal pollution, oil spills, plastics
Metals mercurys pcbs mine drainage
Chemical pollution
Heat discharge from factories can decrease oxygen content and lead to fish kills
Thermal pollution
6million tones per year
Oil spills
North Pacific gyre an ocean garbage dump
Plastics
Where does pollution come from
Sources of point pollution
23 million septic tank systems
190000 storage lagoons for waste
90000 municipal landfills
2 million underground storage tanks containing gasoline or pollutants
Thousands of public and industrial wastewater treatment plants
Sources of non point pollution
Highway construction
Storm water run off from cities or suburban streets like feces etc.
Pesticides
50 mill tones of fertilizer applied to lawns and caps
10 million tons of dry salt applied to highways
Possible problems of pollution
Temp. Increase Organic waste in water Suspended solids in the river Detergents found in water Runoff from fertilized land Vehicles used
Effects of pollution
Decrease in dissolved oxygen High turbidity High level of phosphates High levels of nitrate Oh of water changes
Where does pollution come from
Marine transportation Sewage Industrial waste Pollutants of air Farm run off Offshore oil Litter
Dug or tap into underground water hard to prevent contaminated water
Wells
Made into underground aquifers. Lined sealed and do a better job of keeping out microorganism xu and chemicals
Drilled wells
Problems with wells
Contaminated by micro organisms
Soil salination
Aquifer depletion
Salt water intrusion
Subsidence
Occurs when salt water moves in where fresh water is located
Salt water
When the land level falls due to loss of groundwater
Subsidence
Used to provide drinking water for agriculture, generate hydro power and recreational activities
Dams
Dam problems
Flood upstream Fragmentation Sedimentation Reservoir is a breeding ground for disease insects Disrupts the natural flow of rivers
Dam removal benefits
Avoid catastrophic Dam failure
Benefit aquatic life
Restore downstream habitats
Restore natural flow of streams and rivers
Farming adds excess fertilizers to rivers and lakes
Stimulate algae growth
Lead to algae blossoms reduce oxygen levels fish kills and green scum
Eutrophication process
Eutrophication experiment by university of Manitoba
No blue green algal bloom carbon nitrogen
Blue green algal bloom carbon nitrogen phosphorus
Importance of water conservation
Sustainability
Energy conservation
Habitat conservation
Reduce water consumption per capita
