The hydroshpere

Question 1

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 1

The Earth’s outer layer of water, uniting water in all the different states: liquid, solid, gas (vapour)

Question 2

Describe catchment areas

Answer 2

An area of land whose lakes and rivers all empty into the same larger body of water. It will catch both above surface water and groundwater over that region.

Question 3

The watershed area is determined by what? How does water flow?

Answer 3

Determined by natural lines that are formed by the land.

Water will flow down slopes/higher ground towards the basin

Question 4

Describe human disturbances on watersheds.

Answer 4

Creation of a reservoir upstream from a hydro-electric power plant, can disturb ecosystems

Contaminants upstream of the basin can be spread anywhere downstream

Question 5

Why does the ocean regulate temperature?

Answer 5

Because of their ability to absorb heat

Oceans vary in temp and salinity

Question 6

What factors influence water temperature?

Answer 6

• The seasons (angle of sunlight to Earth as it rotates)
• The latitude (closer to equator = HOT)
• The depth (deeper = colder) due to less sunlight

Question 7

What are ocean currents?

Answer 7

The movement of seawater in a certain direction

Question 8

What are the different types of marine currents?

Answer 8

• Surface currents

- Deep currents

Question 9

Why does the ocean regulate temperature? Oceans vary in what?

Answer 9

Because of its ability to absorb heat

Oceans vary in temp and salinity

Question 10

What factors influence water temperature?

Answer 10

• The seasons (angle of sunlight to Earth as it rotates)
• The latitude (closer to equator = HOT)
• The depth (deeper = colder) due to less sunlight

Question 11

Where are oceans less saline? Why?

Answer 11

Less saline near the poles of the Earth, where the freshwater ice caps freeze/thaw and thus lower the salt concentration

Question 12

High salinity = _____ density

Answer 12

High

Question 13

Describe ice floes/pack ice

Answer 13

Froms when the surface of water freezes due to cold temperatures and breaks off into sheets. This is “slightly” salty ice floating on the ocean, near the poles

Question 14

Describe surface currents

Answer 14

Mostly generated by wind

Top 400m of ocean water

Question 15

Describe deep currents

Answer 15

• Caused by differences in temperature and salinity and ensure vertical circulation between different layers of the ocean.
• Heavier water sinks and causes movement/circulation
• Cold water (due to ice caps/pack ice and icebergs) = cold + dense thus sinks
• Very salty water = denser thus sinks

Question 16

Describe thermohaline circulation

Answer 16

• Combination of surface & deep currents creates ocean circulation of both temperature regulation and salinity distribution
• This process mixes water around the world, thus regulates the Earth’s climate and overall temperature

Question 17

Effects of melting pack ice on climate

Answer 17

When pack ice (less salty than ocean water) melts:

• Less salt in the water so it doesn’t sink as much
• Water is less dense than Ocean water so this does not think as much, messing up thermohaline circulation, worsening climate change
• Less surface area to reflect sunlight back away (albedo). More heat absorbed by the ocean water
• Loss of habitat for polar bears and seals

Question 18

Describe ice floes/pack ice

Answer 18

Froms when the surface of water freezes due to cold temperatures and breaks off into sheets. This is “slightly” salty ice floating on the ocean, near the poles

Question 19

Describe glaciers

Answer 19

Formed by compressing snow on land

Question 20

Describe icebergs

Answer 20

Broken pieces of glaciers that fall into the water are called icebergs

Question 21

Describe the impacts of melting ice

Answer 21

• Thermohaline currents are disturbed by melting pack ice & icebergs and glaciers
• There is rise in sea level due to accelerated thawing of glaciers
• Less ice = more global climate change
• Loss of habitat when pack ice melt for animals that move around to hunt
• Decrease of albedo

Question 22

Consequences of melting glaciers

Answer 22

• Reduction of reflectivity (ALBEDO)

- Increase in sea levels

Question 23

Describe how tides work

Answer 23

• Caused by gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the waters of the Earth
• Because the moon is so much closer to the Earth than the sun, its influence is much greater
• Gravity and inertia act in opposition on the Earth’s oceans, creating tidal bulges on opposite sides of the planet. On the “near” side of the Earth (the side facing the moon), the gravitational force of the moon pulls the ocean’s waters toward it, creating one bulge. On the far side of the Earth, inertia dominates, creating a second bulge.