The hydrosphere (worksheet #1)

Question 1

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 1

Earth’s outer layer of water

Question 2

1. The hydrosphere is composed mainly of ____ water.

2. Where is the 2.5% of ______ water found?

Answer 2

1. 97.5% salt water

2. 2.5% fresh water (79% frozen in glaciers, 21% in lakes and rivers)

Question 3

What does a hydrologist study?

Answer 3

Water

Question 4

Where are freshwater bodies found?

Answer 4

On continents

Question 5

What is a watershed?

Answer 5

Area of land whose lakes and rivers all empty into the same larger body of water

Question 6

What is a subwatershed?

Answer 6

A watershed within a larger watershed

Question 7

What is a watershed divide?

Answer 7

Natural boundaries that make up the limits of a watershed

Question 8

What are 5 factors that impact watersheds?

Answer 8

1. Topography (shape/slope of land)
2. Geology (type of rock found on land)
3. Climate (frequency rain or snow)
4. Vegetation
5. Agriculture, industrial/urban development

Question 9

How does the shape/slope of the land impact watersheds?

Answer 9

The steeper the slope, the easier the water flow

Question 10

How does the type of rock found on the land impact watersheds?

Answer 10

Rocks that are porous or crushed will have better flow

Question 11

How does the climate impact watersheds?

Answer 11

More rain or snow causes even quicker flow

Question 12

How does the vegetation impact watersheds?

Answer 12

Wooded areas will slow the water flow

Question 13

How does agriculture, industrial/urban development impact watersheds?

Answer 13

Dams can prevent water flow entirely

Question 14

What are the 5 oceans?

Answer 14

1. Pacific
2. Atlantic
3. Indian
4. Arctic
5. Southern

Question 15

What 3 things affect water temperature?

Answer 15

1. Depth
2. Seasons
3. Latitude

Question 16

How do the seasons affect water temperature?

Answer 16

Oceans lose some heat during winter. Water loses heat more slowly than land causing less pronounced temp. differences

Question 17

How does latitude affect water temperature?

Answer 17

Warmer at the equator than in temperate zones

Question 18

What are the 3 layers of the ocean?

Answer 18

1. Mixed layer
2. Thermocline
3. Deeper water

Question 19

Explain the relationship between the depth of water and the temperature.

Answer 19

As depth increases, temperature decreases. Mixed layer is warmer bc it is receiving sunlight

Question 20

What is salinity?

Answer 20

Amount of salt dissolved in a liquid

Question 21

How does the ocean become salty?

Answer 21

Seawater pounds against rocks and dissolved the salt found in rocks

Question 22

Where is the seawater more diluted in salt and why?

Answer 22

At the poles bc ice packs and glaciers are melting, which dilutes seawater

Question 23

Where is the seawater the least diluted and why?

Answer 23

Warmer areas at the equator bc the water evaporates but the salt doesnt

Question 24

What is the ocean current?

Answer 24

Movement of seawater in a certain direction

Question 25

Surface currents

1. What are they caused by?
2. How do they move?
3. Where are they found?

Answer 25

1. Winds
2. Horizontally
3. 400m of water and below the surface

Question 26

What are subsurface currents caused by?

Answer 26

Variations in density between layers

Question 27

1. As temp. ______ in a liquid, substance’s volume ____, resulting in ______ density.
2. As salinity ____, density _______.

Answer 27

1. As temp. decreases in a liquid, substance’s volume decreases, resulting in higher density. (colder the water, higher the density and it will sink)
2. As salinity increases, density decreases

Question 28

Surface and subsurface currents are connected and move around the Earth like a huge conveyer belt, which is caused by?

Answer 28

Thermohaline circulation

Question 29

What is the thermohaline circulation?

Answer 29

Ocean waters are in constant motion

Question 30

Why is thermohaline circulation important?

Answer 30

1. Regulates climate (moves heat from tropics to poles)

2. Transfers nutrients (moves warm sruface water down, forces cold nutrient rich water up)