Hydrosphere Earth ‘s Water

Water World How is water distributed on earth? Two thirds (71%) of our planet is covered by water. 97.2% of the water is saltwater (found in oceans). Only 2.8% of the water on Earth is Freshwater The majority of freshwater is beyond our reach, locked into polar snow and ice. Less than 1% is available for consumption.

What is Salt water? Salt water is water that contains dissolved salts and other minerals. The water of the seas and oceans is salty Most human beings and other land animals can not survive by drinking salt water.

What do you think? Why do you think that most animals can’t survive by drinking salt water? (Hint: Osmosis) The only real reason is the salt. Your body is 97% water so it will dehydrate itself trying to get rid of all the excess sodium chloride (salt). The salt water has a LOWER concentration of water than your tissues. Osmosis will cause water in your tissues to flow from higher to lower concentration. So if you drink sea water, it will draw water OUT of your tissues and dehydrate you faster. IF you lose too much water, the concentrations of salt becomes too high and your muscles (like your heart) stop working right.

What is Fresh Water? Fresh water is water that is not salty and has little or no taste, color or smell Lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams are freshwater habitats. So too are swamps, bogs, and marshes.

Where we get our fresh water - Christiana Z. Peppard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz6AQXQGupQ

Where is most of the Earth’s water located? Most of the Earth’s water is salt water; therefore, most of the Earth’s water is located in the seas and oceans.

What makes up the Earth’s freshwater supply? The Earth’s freshwater is located in glaciers, icecaps, groundwater, lakes, rivers streams and reservoirs.

Most fresh water on Earth is frozen

Most freshwater is located in glaciers and icecaps. Groundwater is the second most plentiful resource of freshwater. Surface water like lakes, rivers and ponds have the least amount of freshwater

What is a Glacier? It is an accumulation of fallen snow that, over many years, compresses into a large, thick, slow moving ice mass. It flows over land in Antarctica and the Arctic

What is an Iceberg? It is a large piece of freshwater ice that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open water

How much of the iceberg is underwater? About 7/8 or over 90% of an iceberg's volume (and mass) is underwater

Freshwater flows Underground

What is groundwater? Fresh water that is held underground because it has soaked into the ground and percolated (water that is filter by porous rocks)

What properties does Earth’s soil have that allows it to absorb water? Permeability pore spaces allow a liquid to flow through it. Impermeable pore spaces are so close that water can not flow through it