RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT CH. 4. SOLAR ENERGY
4-1. WATER CYCLE Water H 2 O
Water on Earth Sea water (1.37*10 9 km 3 ) Terrestrial water Surface water (2.3*10 5 km 3 ) Groundwater (8.4*10 6 km 3 ) Glacier/Ice/Snow (2.9*10 7 km 3 ) Vapor (1.3*10 4 km 3 )
Significance of Water Essential constituents of life forms Niches for various organisms Climate (esp. temperature) controller Reservoir of many invaluable resources Transport medium for material cycles
Water Cycle