DISTRIBUTION

OF WATER ON
EARTH
Chapter 1C - Hydrology
Messana
Science 8
8.E.1 Understand the hydrosphere and the impact of
humans on local systems and the effects of the
hydrosphere on humans.

8.E.1.1 Explain the structure of the hydrosphere

including:
Water distribution on earth
Local river basins and water
availability
THE HYDROSPHERE
Hydrosphere: the part of
Earth that contains
water
97% of Earths water
is salt water
Only 3% is fresh
water: (30%
groundwater, 68%
frozen, 2% on surface)
SALTWATER
Oceans cover 71% of Earths surface (about )
Land takes up 29% of Earths surface (about )

2 categories of water in the Hydrospherebased

on Salinity = % salt content
Saltwater:

97% of Earths water

Oceans
35 g salt/kg of water
How many oceans are currently recognized
today??!!
FRESHWATER
Freshwater:

< 1 g salt/kg of water

ONLY 3% of Earths water is fresh
2/3 of that is frozen in glaciers,

ice caps, & icebergs (pieces of

glaciers floating in ocean)
1/3 of that is liquid &
accessible in lakes, ponds,
rivers, streams, or underground
 FRESHWATER RESOURCES
Most freshwater is
frozen at the polar
ice caps!!

Glaciers are masses of

ice and snow that
move slowly over the
Earths surface.
WHERES THE WATER?
The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater
System on earth. They contain 84% of
North Americas surface freshwater and
21% of the worlds surface fresh water
supply. Only the polar ice caps contain
more fresh water.
WATER CYCLE QUICK REVIEW
1. Sun heats the water on the surface of Earth
2. Freshwater evaporates into atmosphere as
water vapor (salt in ocean stays behind)
3. Water vapor cools & condenses on dust
particles to form clouds
4. Water falls back to Earth as precipitation in
the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail
5. Precipitation that hits surface either gets
absorbed into ground, stays trapped as
standing water, or moves downhill as run-off
back into lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, oceans
**The amount of water on Earth stays the
same!!**
FRESHWATER RESOURCES
1/3of Earths freshwater is
groundwater!!

Groundwater forms when water

moves through soils and
sediment and collects in spaces
underground.
An aquifer is a rock layer that
stores water in the spaces
between the rock and allows
water to flow through it.
WATER DRAINAGE PATTERNS
Precipitation hits the surface of Earth

1.) If Permeable/Pervious Surface = water

will sink in Ex: Sand, Gravel, Dirt

2.) If Impermeable/Impervious Surface =

water will not sink in, may be trapped in basin
OR may run off from high low elevation
Ex: Red Clay, Cement, Asphalt
WATER DRAINAGE PATTERNS
Divide = high ridge of land from which water
will flow in different directions

Watershed/River Drainage Basin = drainage

area where all water from one side of a divide
flows, all water flows to one central river based
on the topography (curves/elevation) of the land

What River Basin do we live in??

Catawba River Wateree River Santee River
Atlantic Ocean!
EXAMINE A WATERSHED
POSSIBLE WATER FLOW EXAMPLE
Precipitation
Land

Flows Downhill

Stream

River

Larger River OR Lake

Estuary = mix of fresh & salt water in a bay

Ocean!!...all water ends up here
GROUNDWATER
Water that seeps into the soil & is pulled down
by gravity
Can move or sit under the surface if there are
spaces between the rock/soil particles
(permeable)
Water will seep down until it hits an
impermeable surface, then fill up from there
(like your bathtub with the drain closed!)
The region filled with ground water =
Saturation Zone
The top surface of this area = Water Table
WATER TABLE & SATURATION ZONE
AQUIFERS
Underground permeable rock or sediment
that contains water
Particles in ground act like filter to water!!
OGALLALA AQUIFER UNDER U.S.
Huge source of
freshwater for
drinking &
irrigation in the U.S.
Depleting at alarming
rate
The average annual
depletion rate between
2000 and 2007 was
more than twice that
during the previous
fifty years!
GROUNDWATER TO THE SURFACE VIA
1.) Man-made Well pipe dug into
ground to extract water from aquifer
2.) Artesian Well water flows
naturally to surface because its under
pressure
3.) Spring water flows to surface
because surface of land dips below water
table
4.) Hot Spring/Geyser water heated up
by rocks, pushes up to surface due to
pressure
MAN-MADE WELL
ARTESIAN WELL & SPRING
GEYSER IN ICELAND YOUTUBE CLIP
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.youtube
.com/watch%3Fv%3DW-daow-
LojM&sa=U&ei=n65CT8aeApDcgge2o63lCw&ve
d=0CCgQtwIwAg&usg=AFQjCNEpLlDlSzVPx4a
S-Tu3nfBc1pCkKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tShhZvvIM84
&feature=related
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ3CKgZEitw
&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTqLQO3L4Ko