Hydrosphere Freshwater By: Meredith Allen, Lauryn Baker, maia Skinner 

FRESHWATER FACTS Only 3% of the water on Earth comes from freshwater biomes.  Freshwater biomes are very important to our survival because they supply people with more than half of their drinking water.   The water in a freshwater biome contains less than 1% of salt water. Any body of water that contains little to no salt is considered freshwater.    The freshwater biome is made up of any of body of water that is made of freshwater such as lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers.     Most freshwater biomes consist of moving water and contain many types of fish. 

Freshwater Distribution The majority of freshwater in glaciers, 68% to be exact. Though, it can also be found in the ground and in lakes, rivers, etc. The different ecosystems involving freshwater are wetlands, lakes, estuaries, rivers, river basins, and ponds.

Water cycle Evaporation: Heat from the Sun causes water on Earth (in oceans, lakes etc) to evaporate (turn from liquid into gas) and rise into the sky. This water vapor collects in the sky in the form of clouds.    Condensation: As water vapor in the clouds cools down, it becomes denser.   Precipitation: Water falls from the sky in the form of rain, snow, sleet, and hail.   Collection: Oceans and lakes collect water that has fallen. Water evaporates from the sky again and the cycle continues.  

Important bodies of freshwater Some of the most well known bodies of freshwater are the five great lakes. The names of the lakes are: Lake Michigan Lake Huron Lake Superior Lake Erie Lake Ontario All of these bodies combined create an area of 246,463 square kilometers of water.

Saturated vs aerated Zone of aeration: The area above the water table that cannot be saturated. Saturated Zone: Region of permeable soil or rock that is saturated. Water table: The surface of the saturated zone. Aquifer: A rock or sediment layer that contains water. Aquitard: Impermeable layers that restrict water movement.

Porosity Pore= passage "Porosity is a measure of how much of a rock is open space  For example think of pores they are open space  Another perfect example for porosity is a Volcanic rock  called Pumice that little tiny holes  You can also measure the porosity of hair.

wells A water well is a structure created to get water out by digging, drilling and etc. Digging well by hand has been a outdated thing to do. Modern day technology has us use the truck mounted drill rig.                            Different types of wells  Dug well- digging in the well with a pick and shovel, is the ground soft that means the water table is soft  Driven well-  using a small diameter pipe usually attach a screen on the bottom of the pipe Drilled well- this is the most common, use a drill rig, drill wells can be drilled more than 1,000 feet deep

Going to the surface Sometimes groundwater reaches the surface in the form of Hot springs. Hot springs are areas where water flows or bubbles through cracks to the surface. A well known form of hot springs are geysers, which are powered by heat.

Water Pollution Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater), very often by human activities. Some causes of water pollution are:  Sewage and waste water- In many developed communities, wastewater and soluble water is treated, cleaned and dumped into the sea or river. n some not-so-developed countries, the sewage is not treated but quickly dumped into the sea or water bodies. This is VERY dangerous because they contaminate the environment and water bodies and bring many deadly diseases to us.  Septic tanks- Biological processes are used to break down the solids and the liquid is usually drained out into a land drainage system. From this stage, it can escape into the soil and nearby water bodies. 

River Basins A river basin is a the land that water flows across or under on its way to a river.   We live in the Yadkin Pee-dee  There are 17 river basins in North Carolina.  Cape Fear                                                         Yadkin Pee-Dee  Tar-Pamlico, etc. 

Ecosystems Things that are found in the ecosystem are Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Streams, Spring, and wetlands.   Some animals include: White cloud fish Danios fish Kuhli Loach fish Axolotl Catfish Some plants include: Pond lilies Tamarack Cattails