HYDROSPHERE AS A SYSTEM Earth System – the interconnectedness of four spheres.

What is hydrosphere, and how is it interconnected to other

HYDROSPHERE and it's interconnectedness in GEOSPHERE
Earth Systems?
• When a parcel of air in the atmosphere becomes saturated with
• "hydro" means water.
water, precipitation, such as rain or snow, can fall to Earth's surface.
• hydrosphere is a dynamic mass of water, evaporating from the That precipitation connects the hydrosphere with the geosphere by
ocean to the atmosphere, precipitating to land, and running back to promoting erosion and weathering, surface processes that slowly
the ocean. break down large rocks into smaller ones.
• hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The
hydrosphere includes water that is on the surface of the planet, HYDROSPHERE and it's interconnectedness in BIOSPHERE
underground, and in the air. A planet's hydrosphere can be liquid, • In the interaction between the biosphere and the hydrosphere, the
vapor, or ice biosphere requires water to drink (for animals) and for the growth of
The Hydrosphere plants. The water is provided by the hydrosphere. This interaction
between the hydrosphere and biosphere helps life on Earth to be
1. Water in the atmosphere – This includes water vapor, fog, or water more sustainable.
droplets in the form of clouds.
2. Groundwater – This is freshwater stored in cracks under the Earth's HYDROSPHERE and it's interconnectedness in ATMOSPHERE
surface. It is extracted and often used for drinking and irrigation. • The evaporation that occurs in the hydrosphere forms the medium
3. Rivers and Tributaries – These are streams of moving water, mostly for cloud and rain formation in the atmosphere. The atmosphere
freshwater. brings back this water to the hydrosphere in the form of rain.
4. Glaciers – These are massive bodies of ice on the Earth's polar
regions. They store 3/4 of the Earth's freshwater. How does the hydrosphere contribute to the overall balance of Earth' s
5. Lakes – These are bodies of freshwater in an inland basin that are processes and climate?
still or slow-moving. • The hydrosphere affects climate at short time intervals primarily by
6. Oceans and Seas – These are large expanses of saltwater that providing a source of atmospheric moisture, affecting both the
occupy more than 70% of the Earth. humidity of a region and precipitation patterns. Over a longer
timescale, the cryosphere (the frozen part of the hydrosphere) has a
The hydrosphere is the totality of the water on Earth and covers 71% of our disproportionately large impact on the climate.
planet. Saltwater makes up 97% of the Earth's water, while freshwater is a • One of the important features of the hydrosphere is that it helps to
scarce resource at 3% regulate the temperature of the environment. The specific heat
capacity of water is the main property by which this regulation is
Atmosphere – is a mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth. It helps make happening. Water takes time to heat as well as to cool.
life possible by providing us with air to breathe, shielding us from harmful
• Water vapor is Earth's most abundant greenhouse gas. It's
ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the Sun.
responsible for about half of Earth's greenhouse effect — the process
Geosphere – is the earth itself: the rocks, minerals, and landforms of the that occurs when gases in Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's heat.
surface and interior. Greenhouse gases keep our planet livable. Oceans help regulate
Biosphere – is a global ecosystem made up of living organisms (biota) and Earth's temperature by absorbing and releasing heat from the sun.
the nonliving (abiotic) factors that provide them with energy and nutrients.
 • It hydrates life on the planet, and plays a role in the transfer of energy Different types of movement:
from terrestrial to aquatic systems. 1. Evaporation – the water is heated by solar radiation from the sun.
• Processes and cycles, which, over time, intermittently store, 2. Transpiration – this is the process of water vapour being emitted by
transform and/or transfer matter and energy throughout the whole plant leaves.
Earth system in ways that are governed by the laws of conservation 3. Evapotranspiration – when water vapour leaves a vegetated
of matter and energy. surface it is often difficult to distinguish between evaporation from the
soil surface and transpiration from plants.
4. Sublimation – when water moves directly from a solid to a gaseous
HYDROLOGY AND THE EARTH'S HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE state without ever entering the liquid state.
5. Condensation – when water vapour rises, it cools slightly and
Hydrology condenses
• a branch of science that deals with the study of water on the Earth's 6. Precipitation – water falls from the sky in numerous different forms
surface and beneath the Earth's surface. of precipitation including rain, snow, and hail.
• is the study of the distribution and movement of water both on and 7. Runoff – rain or snowmelt can move water over land and form small
below the Earth’s surface, as well as the impact of human activity on creeks or collect in ditches. Runoff is the visible flow of water in rivers
water availability and conditions. or creeks as water, previously stored in a basin, drains.
• study of the movement of water 8. Infiltration – when precipitation falls on the ground, some of it moves
• deals with the physical and chemical properties of water downwards into cracks, joints, and pores in the soil.
• study the relationship of water to other living organisms. 9. Groundwater Flow – groundwater is water that is held in cracks and
pore spaces below ground. This water can be tapped by water supply
Hydrologist wells or continue moving below the ground until it eventually returns
• a scientist who studies hydrology, including the quantity and quality to the surface.
of water. Hydrologic cycle impacts the distribution of water on Earth's surface
• The water cycle is the entire reason that water is distributed around
Why hydrology is important to understand the hydrologic cycle? the earth instead of being locked up in our oceans. About 97 percent
• It does not only provide water but studies the impact on life on Earth. of all water on Earth is in our massive oceans, and it is undrinkable
How other important things like nutrients and pathogens move. due to its high salt content. In addition, most plants are unable to use
ocean water, and this is where the water cycle plays a major role.
Hydrologic Cycle • The hydrologic cycle is important because it is how water reaches
• It is known as water cycle is a term used to describe the material flow plants, animals and us. Besides providing people, animals and plants
of water across the Earth. with water, it also moves things like nutrients, pathogens and
sediment in and out of aquatic ecosystems.
The cycle has two primary components:
1. Storage – where the water in the system "rests" in storage as it flows SOURCES OF WATER
from one water reservoir to another. What are the primary sources of water on Earth?
2. Movement – in the water cycle, water flows across the world in a 1. Rainwater – Rain is the original and primary source of water on
variety of ways. earth. It is considered a pure and fresh form of water. It is the water
that has fallen from the clouds as rain and has not sunk into the earth.
It fills up rivers and ponds and also collects as groundwater. Rivers,
 lakes, streams, wells, etc. are all considered secondary sources. All accessible. Groundwater levels can be replenished through natural
these secondary sources exist due to rainfall. processes or artificial recharge methods.
2. Surface Water – it is found on the surface of the earth in the form of Role of the water cycle in replenishing water sources
rivers, lakes, ponds, seas, streams. It is easily accessible for human • Water cycling affects the climate, transports minerals, purifies water,
use and plays a vital role in supporting ecosystems, agriculture, and and replenishes the land with fresh water. The water cycle is an
various industries. extremely important process because it enables the availability of
3. Groundwater – it has an important place among the sources of water for all living organisms and regulates weather patterns on our
water. It is obtained due to the process of water being absorbed by planet. If water didn't naturally recycle itself, we would run out of clean
the lower strata of the land. It is accessed through wells and springs water, which is essential to life. And of the many processes involved
and is a crucial source of drinking water for many communities in the water cycle, the most important are evaporation, transpiration,
worldwide. condensation, precipitation, and runoff. The water shows the
How do precipitation, surface runoff, and groundwater contribute to the movement of water through different reservoirs, which include the
availability of water? oceans, atmosphere, glaciers, groundwater, lakes, rivers, and
Precipitation biosphere. Solar energy and gravity drive the motion of water in the
• Precipitation refers to the water that falls from the atmosphere in the water cycle.
form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. It is the primary source of fresh water • Simply put, the water cycle involves water moving from oceans,
on Earth. rivers, and lakes to the atmosphere by evaporation, forming clouds.
• When precipitation occurs, it replenishes water bodies such as rivers, From the clouds, it falls as precipitation (rain and snow) on both water
lakes, and reservoirs, increasing their water levels and contributing and land. The water on land can either return to the ocean by surface
to their availability. Precipitation also infiltrates into the ground, runoff, rivers, glaciers, and subsurface groundwater flow, or it can
replenishing groundwater reserves. return to the atmosphere by evaporation or transpiration (loss of
Surface runoff water by plants to the atmosphere). Although the total amount of
• the flow of water that occurs when the ground is unable to absorb all water within the cycle remains essentially constant, its distribution
the precipitation that falls or when the precipitation intensity exceeds among the various processes is continually changing. Moreover, just
the infiltration capacity of the soil. It flows over the land surface, like we always say, water is one of the most abundant things we need
collects in streams and rivers, and eventually reaches larger water in order to live on our planet.
bodies such as lakes and oceans.
• contributes to the availability of water by increasing the water levels BODIES OF WATER
in rivers and lakes, providing a source of water for various purposes Bodies of water – any significant accumulation of water on the surface of
like drinking water supply, agriculture, and industrial use. Earth or another planet.
Groundwater
• Groundwater refers to the water that is stored beneath the Earth's Minor Bodies of Water
surface in aquifers—porous rock formations or underground 1. Bay – recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a
reservoirs. It is primarily recharged by precipitation that infiltrates into larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay.
the ground. The sea is covered by land on three sides.
• Groundwater plays a crucial role in the availability of water as it 2. Gulf – large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a
provides a significant source of freshwater for drinking, irrigation, and narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all
industrial use. Wells and boreholes are used to extract groundwater, geographic areas so named.
especially in areas where surface water may be limited or not readily 3. Reservoir – enlarged lake behind a dam.
 4. Strait – oceanic landform connecting two seas. Most commonly, it is the middle course, river features include wider, shallower valleys,
a narrow ocean channel that lies between two land masses. meanders, and oxbow lakes. And finally, in the lower course, there
5. Fjord – long, deep, narrow body of water that reaches far inland. are wide flat-bottomed valleys, floodplains and deltas.
Fjords are often set in a U-shaped valley with steep walls of rock on 3. Ocean – body of saline water that composes much of a planet’s
either side. hydrosphere. It is a continuous body of salt water that covers more
6. Glacier – persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving than 70 percent of Earth's surface. The features of the ocean include
under its own weight. Glaciers form on land, and they are made up continental shelf and slope, abyssal plain, trenches seamounts and
of fallen snow that gets compressed into ice over many centuries. the mid - ocean ridge.
They move slowly downward from the pull of gravity. 4. Seas – smaller than oceans and are usually located where the land
7. Estuary – a partially enclosed, coastal water body where freshwater and ocean meet. Typically, seas are partially enclosed by land. Seas
from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean are found on the margins of the ocean and are partially enclosed by
resulting in brackish water. Brackish water is somewhat salty, but not land. it is saline, its freezing point is slightly lower than fresh water,
as salty as the ocean. its density is slightly higher, its electrical conductivity is much higher,
8. Pond – small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside and it is slightly basic.
a depression, either naturally or artificially
9. Creek – continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and Ocean and Seas Contribution
banks of a channel. Creek is more turbulent than a stream. • Feed us, regulate our climate, and generate most of the oxygen we
10. Lagoon – shallow body of water separated from a larger body of breathe
water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier
peninsulas, or isthmuses. THE VAST WORLD OCEAN
11. Harbor – sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges • 5% of the ocean has been explored
can be docked. Significance and extent of the world ocean
12. Waterfall – a river or other body of water's steep fall over a rocky • Home for marine life
ledge into a plunge pool below. 1. Anthropoda – jointed skeletal covering
2. Porifera – cylindrical and has pores
Major Bodies of Water 3. Mollusca – invertebrate, has a shell, head, and foot
1. Lakes – a very slow flowing body of open water which occupies a 4. Echinodermata – star like appearance, hard shell
land. 5. Cnidaria – exhibit radial symmetry, soft bodied, has stinging
Five features that define lake: cells
• inland depression filled with water • Vital role in Climate and Weather
• standing, slow-moving bodies of water Heat Exchange: as the ocean surface warms, it releases heat into
• home to complex ecosystem the atmosphere, this interaction is a crucial driver of weather
• have vast surface areas phenomena, including the formation of storms, cyclones, and
• mostly freshwater hurricanes.
2. Rivers – a ribbon-like body of water that flows downhill from the force
of gravity. A river can be wide and deep, or shallow enough for a Moisture Source: through evaporation, water from the ocean
person to wade across. A flowing body of water that is smaller than surface is lifted into the air as vapor, forming clouds and eventually
a river is called a stream, creek, or brook. includes steep-sided V- leading to precipitation.
shaped valleys, interlocking spurs, rapids, waterfalls and gorges. In
 • Global Temperature 4. The Abyssal Zone (Abyssopelagic)
Heat Absorption: it stores a significant amount of the sun's energy. • The seafloor and water column from 3,000 to 6,500 meters (9,842
As sunlight penetrates the ocean's surface, a portion of this energy to 21,325 feet) depth is known as the abyssal zone, or the abyss.
is absorbed, preventing excessive warming of the Earth's surface and Sunlight doesn't penetrate to these depths, so the waters here
atmosphere. are extremely dark, and the animals that live here often use
bioluminescence to communicate.
• Helps fishermen/people in the coastal community
1. Economic livelihoods 5. The Hadal Zone (Trenches)
2. Food security • In most areas, the ocean floor lies 4,000 to 6,000 meters (13,000
3. Cultural heritage to 20,000 feet) below the surface, but deep ocean trenches can
4. Recreation and well-being extend this depth to 11,000 meters (36,000 feet).
• The hadal zone is characterized by extreme depth and pressure,
Divisions and Regions of the Ocean temperatures that hover just above freezing, and complete
1. The Sunlight Zone (Epipelagic) darkness
• the upper layer of the ocean
• surface waters are also warmer than the deeper waters of the Major Ocean Basins and their Characteristics
open ocean Ocean basin – is basically the region that contains a huge amount of water.
• home to a massive number of organisms
• Phytoplankton is present 5 Major Ocean Basins
1. Pacific Ocean Basin
2. The Twilight Zone (Mesopelagic) • The name Pacific comes from the Latin name Mare
• It lies 200 to 1,000 meters (about 650 to 3,300 feet) below the Pacificum which means "peaceful sea”.
ocean surface • It is the largest, deepest, and oldest among the other basins
• cold and its light is dim, but with flashes of bioluminescence on Earth and covers 30% of the Earth's surface. It formed
• Animals in the twilight zone range in size from microscopic to around 200 million years ago.
among the largest on the planet • The Pacific Ocean Basin basically contributes to numerous
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on areas of the Earth.
3. The Midnight Zone (Bathypelagic) This in turn gives the Pacific Ocean Basin the nickname 'Ring
• Sunlight is rapidly absorbed as it travels through water. Red, of Fire'
orange, and yellow are absorbed quickly, leaving water a brilliant • The Pacific Ocean is also home to the lowest point on Earth
blue, but even these wavelengths disappear as light travels and deepest part of the Ocean known as the Mariana
deeper. By about 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet) depth, even the Trench.
faintest light has been extinguished, leaving these deep ocean
waters in perpetual darkness. The resulting bathypelagic, or 2. Atlantic Ocean Basin
midnight, zone extends to about 4,000 meters (about 13,100 • it is shaped like the letter "S" and known as the second
feet), which reaches the ocean floor in many places. biggest ocean basin on Earth, right after the Pacific Ocean
Basin. It is also named after a famous member of the Titans
in Greek mythology. Atlas.
 • It covers around 20% of Earth's surface, which is around 75 • The waters of the Arctic Ocean Basin actually can come into
million square kilometers. The formation first started around contact with the waters in the Pacific Ocean due to a channel
150 million years ago. called the Bering Strait.
• Puerto Rico Trench is the deepest point in the Atlantic
Ocean. 3 Ridges in the Arctic Ocean Basin
• The most significant characteristic of the Atlantic Ocean is the 1. Lomonosov Ridge – the major one and it separates the North Polar
submerged mountain range known as the Mid-Atlantic Sea into two
Ridge. In addition to the Mid-Atlantic ridge, the Atlantic Ocean 2. Alpha Ridge – located at North america which defines the basins in
Basin consists of the Romanche Furrow, Bermuda Triangle Canada and Makarov.
and Gulf stream. 3. Gakkel Ridge – it is located in Eurasian and defines the Fram and
3. Indian Ocean Basin Nansen basins.
• The third largest basins in the world. It is roughly located in
the West part of Africa. This basin is around 68 million square
kilometers in total with a depth of 4.210 meters.
• The Indian Ocean includes the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. ~ JG
The deepest point in the Indian Ocean is the Java Trench.
• Indian Ocean contains more inactive volcanoes than any
other ocean. Furthermore, water from it is warmer, saltier and
lower in oxygen than any other ocean.
• There is actually a ridge that lies in between the basin. It
separates the basin into two. The ridge is called the Mid-
Indian Ocean Ridge.

4. Southern Ocean Basin

• the world's fourth-largest body of water. It is around 20 million
square kilometers.
• International Hydrographic Organization accepted it as an
ocean in 2000.
• It encircles Antarctica and is actually divided among the
Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Arefic Gesun Medic
Pacific Great Souther's Senan
• The South Sandwich Trench is the lowest part of the Southern
Ocean at 24,000 feet.
• It's home to a unique and fragile ecosystem.

5. Arctic Ocean Basin

• the smallest, shallowest, and least salty ocean basin among
all the others, and lies at the top of the world.