Grant elerning

Hydrosphere

Hydrosphere

made up of all the water found on, above, and under Earth’s surface (97% saltwater, 3% freshwater)

Fresh water

water that is not salty, 3% of Earth’s water (Icecaps, glaciers, snow, permafrost, groundwater, lakes, rivers, atmosphere)

Groundwater

water located below Earth’s surface; collects as surface water moves down through soils and sediment to collect in spaces of underground rock

Aquifer

a rock layer that collects and stores water; freshwater we drink often comes from aquifers; people drill wells into aquifers to bring water to the surface; as water is pumped out, more water seeps in down through the soil

Surface water

water that collects above the ground, most located in streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands (runoff is also considered surface water)

Runoff

water that flows over the land without sinking into the ground; it comes from rain and melted snow moving materials (soil, rocks, seeds, chemicals) from one place to another

Watersheds

an area of land that drains into a stream, river, lake, or other body of water; they are separated from each other by higher land areas called divides (mountain ridges), groundwater and surface water contribute to the water in a watershed

Watershed features

Mountain, Waterfall, Stream, River, Wetlands, Ocean, Lake (Be able to identify a picture of each)

Ocean basin

a part of the Earth’s surface that is covered ocean water; main basins are North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian, Arctic

Marine

Ocean

Salinity

the saltiness of a body of water

Pollution

the release of an unwanted substance into the environment (oil spills

Upwailing

carries cold water from deep in the ocean up to the surface, water rich in nutrients that have collected deep in the ocean

Cemosythesis

process in which microorganisms, or autotrophs, that do not use sunlight as in photosynthesis but instead use energy stored in chemical bonds

Estuary

a body of water in which freshwater from a river meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean (also known as inlets, bays, harbors, lagoons, or sounds)