The Earth’s Water Chapter 2 ~ Section 3

 Oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water make up the earth’s hydrosphere Hydrosphere

Hydrosphere

 The total amount of water on the earth does not change, but the water is constantly moving  The Water Cycle shows the regular movement of water  ations/es0105/es0105page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization ations/es0105/es0105page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization ations/es0105/es0105page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization The Water Cycle

 The sun evaporates the water from oceans, lakes, and streams Changes it from liquid to vapor, or gas Changes it from liquid to vapor, or gas Warm air carries more water vapor than cold air Warm air carries more water vapor than cold air  Excess vapor changes into liquid water - condensation

The Water Cycle  Drops of water come together to create clouds

 When there is too much water in the clouds, it falls to the earth as precipitation – rain, snow, or sleet depending on temperature The Water Cycle

Bodies of Water  The earth is 70% water almost all of it is salt water almost all of it is salt water  Four oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic  The Pacific Ocean is larger than all the earth’s land combined

 Seas, gulfs, and bays – smaller than oceans & partially enclosed by land  97% of the earth’s water is salt water  To make this water drinkable, it goes through the process of desalination – removing the salt Very expensive Very expensive Bodies of Water

Fresh water  3% of the earth’s water supply is fresh water  Most of this is in glaciers and ice caps  The rest is found beneath the earth’s surface, in aquifers, or in lakes & rivers