1. Rivers, Streams, and Groundwater
Unit 5: Hydrosphere
Rivers, Streams, and Groundwater

2. The Water Cycle or the Hydrologic Cycle

3. Precipitation- Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground
Condensation- Conversion of water vapor (gas) to a liquid
Evaporation- Process of turning liquid into water vapor (gas)
The water cycle
Condensation
Sunlight is need to evaporate water

4. Runoff- draining of away of water from the surface of land.
Infiltration- permeation (entering) of liquid into the ground
The water cycle
Runoff
Infiltration

5. Transpiration- Plants lose water through pores in their leaves.
“Plant sweat”
The Water Cycle

6. Hydrosphere: The part of Earth that contains water.
Land is ~29% of Earth
Water is ~ 71% of Earth
Water on Earth

7. Oceans cover about ~71% of Earth
97% of Earth’s water is ocean water or saltwater
Freshwater is about ~3% of all of the water on Earth.
2/3 of that is frozen in glaciers, ice caps, and icebergs (ice floating in the ocean)
1/3 of that water is in lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and found underground
Water on Earth

8. What type of freshwater if difficult to access? _____________
Water on Earth
Frozen water in glaciers & icebergs
What type of freshwater if difficult to access? _____________

9. Which is denser (salt water/ freshwater)?
Salinity = the amount of salt in water
Water on Earth

10. A river is a channel of water that flows downward toward an ocean or lake.
River Terms
Tributary is stream connecting to a river
Delta is sediment carried to the mouth of a river
Meander is a bend in a river
Ox Bow Lake was part of the river

11. Most rivers start out as a tiny stream running down a mountain slope.
The tiny stream is feed water by snow melt or rainwater.
The water follows cracks in the land as it travels downhill.
Small streams meet and join other growing larger over time.
Weathering and erosion of rock from the water also helps to increase river size.
River Formation

12. River Basins & Watersheds
Both terms describe land that drains into a river, stream or lake.
River Basin is an area that drains into a larger river
Watershed is an area that drains into a smaller river or stream
River Basins & Watersheds

13. River Basins & Watersheds
Larger river basins are made up of many interconnected watersheds
Example: Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins are made up of many small watersheds.
River Basins & Watersheds

14. How many river basins are in North Carolina?
NC River Basins

15. North Carolina River Basins