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The Hydrosphere KEY POINTS:
The planet consists of 4 spheres: the atmosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, and the geosphere
The earth is the only known planet in our solar system with liquid water
The earth consists of approx. 71% water and 29% land
The earth’s water is 97% salt water / 3% freshwater
Of that 3%, 2 percent is frozen – not accessible
Therefore, only 1% of all the water on earth is usable water (it’s actually less than 1% because most of that 1% is groundwater, but I’m rounding for now)
Earth’s Oceans
Ocean FloorContinental shelf – starts at the shore and
slopes into the ocean
Continental slope – where the slope starts to get deeper
Abyssal plain – huge, dark flat region that encompasses most of the ocean floor / covered with mud and remains of marine life
Mid-ocean ridge – underwater mountain range
Ocean trench – large, V-shaped valley
Where does the salt come from?
Main reason – surface water washes over rock containing salts such as sodium chloride (common table salt)
Also: Volcanoes
UpwellingWater that rises to the surface as a result of
upwelling is typically colder and is rich in nutrients. These nutrients “fertilize” surface waters, meaning that these surface waters often have high biological productivity. Therefore, good fishing grounds typically are found where upwelling is common.
Measuring Water DepthToday's oceanographers use sonar instruments to generate a sound signal that is bounced or "echoed" off the sea floor and then recorded on board the ship. The speed of sound in water is 1,500 m per second, four times faster than the speed of sound in air. By carefully measuring the round-trip time of the sound waves and taking into account the variables of temperature and salinity, the depth of the water and the distance to another object can be measured accurately.
ProducersMain producers – algae, phytoplankton
Live in upper region
Perform photosynthesis
Some are microscopic
Use nutrients from upwellings to increase population
ConsumersZooplankton (microscopic organisms that feed
on producers)
Majority of marine life: fish, sharks, lobster, etc.
3 Major Marine Ecosystems
Shore – ocean meets land
Open ocean – away from shore, but not deep ocean
Deep ocean – deepest parts (abysmal plain)
Put up diagram on elmo to copy in notes
Shore ecosystemOcean meets land
Lots of light / shallow water
Waves and tides – few plants
Snails, crabs, mussels, clams, marine worms
Tide pools fill with algae, sea urchins, etc.
Shore birds join ecosystem
The Open OceanAway from shore / not deep
Vast / variety of organisms
Sunlight can reach about 200 meters = producers
Many types of fish will life in the upper region with the producers
Jellyfish, fish, and squid can live below the sunlight level. They eat what drifts down
* some large consumers, like whales, live in the upper region, but dive down to feed on the animals in the deeper ocean
The Deep OceanThousands of meters below the surface
Abyssal plain / No light – no photosynthesis
Water is cold / pressure is great
Thermal vents (openings in the ocean floor) release heat, creating areas of warmth
Autotrophs live around these vents and use chemosynthesis to survive
Chemosynthesis – use energy stored in chemical bonds to make food
Some Hydrosphere VocabularyHydrosphere – all of the water found on,
above, and under the earth’s surface
Freshwater – water that is not salty
Groundwater – water located below the earth’s surface
Aquifer – a rock layer that stores and collects water
Watershed – an area of land that drains into a stream, lake, river, or other body of water
Estuary – a place where freshwater from a river meets and mixes with saltwater from an ocean
Ocean Basin – A part of the Earth’s surface that is covered by ocean water
Salinity – the saltiness of a body of water
Pollution – the release of an unwanted substance into the environment
Marine – found in or relating to the ocean
Upwelling – the movement of cold, nutrient-rich water from deep layers of the ocean up to the surface
Chemosynthesis – the process by which some organisms use the energy stored in chemical bonds to make their own food
Stewardship – the following of practices that protect Earth’s resources
Pollutant – a harmful material released into the environment
Point-source pollution – pollution that comes from a single, identifiable site
Non-point-source pollution – pollution that comes from many places or an unidentified source
Algal Bloom – an extremely rapid growth of algae caused by too many nutrients in the water
pH – a measure of how acidic or how basic a liquid is
Turbidity – a measure of how clear water is
Bioindicator – an organism used to monitor the health of an ecosystem
Monday, Jan. 7, 2013BRAINTEASER
What is the most abundant source of freshwater in North Carolina?
List 3 things people do in their homes that damage our local water supply.
Watersheds
What are they? and
Why Should I Care?
A Divide separates two watersheds
What is a Watershed?An area of land that drains water, sediment, and pollutants into a common body of water.
Watersheds are separated by higher land areas called divides (mountains, ridges, etc.).
Water in a WatershedWithin a watershed, precipitation collects and drains into a river, lake, stream, or the ocean
GROUNDWATER and SURFACE WATER both contribute to the water in a watershed
Watersheds collect RunOff
Factors Affecting Runoff - Space
1. The amount of space between particles of dirt, soil & rock.
(Pavement doesn’t allow runoff
to soak into the ground.)Perv
ious
Impervious
Porous
PermeableImpermeabl
e
Factors affecting RunOff - Buffers
Factors affecting Runoff – Amount(A large amount of rainfall over a short amount of time)
Factors affecting RunOff – GravityWater moves from
Higher elevations to Lower elevations
What is the difference between a watershed and a river basin?
Both terms describe land that drains into a river, stream or lake
Watershed vs River BasinBoth terms describe land that
drains into a river, stream or lake, but…River Basin: drains into a large
riverWatershed: drains into a smaller
river or stream
From Watershed to River Basin
Larger river basins are made up of many interconnected watershedsExample: Cape Fear and Neuse River
Basins are made of many small watersheds
The water in a watershed runs to the lowest point—a river, stream, lake, or the ocean
Tributaries: Smaller streams and rivers that feed a main river.A river and its tributaries make up a
river system.
STOP PointSplit up into groups / Go over directions for
making your watersheds / Divide up the jobs and set up your game plan
Throughout the week, we will work on our watersheds after discussing pertinent information
Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013
• What is a watershed, and why are they necessary?
Why is it important to monitor the health of your local watershed?
Wed., Jan. 9, 2013BRAINTEASER
What do Wetlands do that helps our ecosystem? (3 main things)
Can water from a stream on a mountain affect an estuary hundreds of kilometers away? EXPLAIN!
POLLUTIONPollutants
Point-Source Pollution
Non-Point-Source Pollution
Pollution in our Watershed
•Point Source pollution
• Point source pollution comes from a definite source:– Factories– Refineries– Municipal Facility
• Sewage Treatment Plant
Pollution in our Watershed
• Non-Point Source PollutionPollution that does not come from a single point or location.
Pollution in our Watershed
• Point Source Pollution
•35%
• Non- Point Source Pollution
•65%
STEWARDSHIPNow that you know most
pollution doesn’t come from big business, but from everywhere and everyone, what can we do to help fix this serious problem?
STEWARDSHIP – Following practices that protect Earth’s resources
REMEMBER!A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT STARTS WITH
YOU!
STOP POINT!WORK ON WATERSHEDS
Thurs., Jan. 10, 2013How does the weather affect
water quality?
We are using a sponge to represent the wetland, what do you suppose a wetland does?
Other water sourcesGroundwater
Aquifer
Wetland
Estuary
DO YOU REMEMBER: Where else does the water go?
What is groundwater?The water found in cracks and
pores in sand, gravel and rocks below the earth’s surface
What is an aquifer?A porous rock layer underground
that is a reservoir for water
AquifersThe freshwater we drink
often comes from aquifers
People drill wells into aquifers
Some are near the surface; others are as much as 1000 meters below the surface
Other areas of Surface Water
What is a wetland?An area where the water table is at, near or above the land surface long enough during the year to support adapted plant growth
What are the types of wetlands?
Swamps, bogs, and marshesSwamp: a wetland dominated
by treesBogs: a wetland dominated by
peat mossMarshes: a wetland dominated
by grasses
Why are Wetlands Important?
They trap sediment:The trapped sediment cannot enter into
lakes and streams. This keeps streams and lakes clear.
They use a lot of excess nutrients:Wetlands near lakes and streams use these
nutrients for their plant growth. Decreasing eutrophication.
Wetlands provide habitats for both water and land animals.
ONE PERSON from each group go and get your watershed
We are going to send one person around with the pollutants for your watershed. Sprinkle a little bit in the correct areas.
Chocolate = manure / eroded soil
Orange = agriculture chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers)
Green = lawn care chemicals
LET IT RAIN!Today, the forecast calls for RAIN!
WHEN I TELL YOU TO: Use the spray bottle to rain in the mountains.
The colors will mix with the water to show how pollution can wash through a watershed (RUNOFF)
Let’s compare the projects with buffers and the projects without buffers…
Follow upAnswer follow up questions based on your
observations and what you learned this week.
Other areas of surface water - Estuaries
What is an Estuary?
A body of water in which freshwater from a river meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean
The NEUSE RIVER flows into the PAMLICO SOUND (an estuary)
The CAPE FEAR RIVER flows directly into the ATLANTIC OCEAN
ESTUARY INFO:Nursery Habitats – rich in nutrients and plant
life (food and places to hide)
Feeding Grounds
A lot of biodiversity
Most of our seafood comes from them (fish, shrimp, clams, crab, etc.)
Water is BRACKISH
Other names: inlets, bays, harbors, lagoons, and sounds
Salinityis the saltiness or dissolved salt
content of a body of water or in soil.
Salinity levels vary in different parts of the ocean
Typically 3.5%
Challenge Question: Who can explain the logic behind this statement???
Salinity is lower where precipitation is higher than evaporation.
Monday, Jan. 14, 2013Name at least 2 examples of Point source
pollution and 2 examples of Non-point-source pollution.
Many people enjoy spending time on sailboats and motorboats. How can these people avoid contributing to water pollution?
Water QualityScientists test water quality with thermometers
and water meters
They also collect water samples to check for substances dissolved in the water, temperature of the water, and kinds of organisms that live there
Factors that affect water quality
Seasonal changes in temperature affect oxygen levels
Weather affects quality due to erosion during heavy rain storms
Depth of the water and speed of the currents affect the quality
Human activity (adding chemicals)
Physical IndicatorsDissolved Oxygen and Temperature
Colder water holds more oxygen than warmer water
As the temperature increases – The dissolved oxygen decreases
Healthy water has med. to cold water and heavily dissolved oxygen levels
If the water gets to hot, fish kills can occur (an event where a large number of fish die)
Physical IndicatorsPH
A measure of how acidic or basic a liquid is
A ph scale is numbered 0-14 / 7 is nuetral
Below seven is acidic / above seven is basic
Sea water is around 8.0 or 9.0 – slightly basic
Acid rain makes water too acidic (low ph)
Too much algae makes water too basic (high ph)
Physical IndicatorsTurbidity
A measure of how clean water is
High turbidity (cloudy water) is Unhealthy
Soil from runoff can cause high turbidity – not always permanent
Rapid growth of algae = high turbidity
Marine life need clear water so that they can get sunlight
Chemical Indicators of unhealthy water
High levels of nitrates and phosphates (found in fertilizers) = algal blooms
Algal bloom – extremely rapid growth of algae
They block sunlight can cause high turbidity
Example: Pfiesteria (found in NC) is poisonous
Dead ZonesWhen algae and other aquatic plants grow in
large numbers, they use up all of their resources and die off. As decomposers break down their remains, they use up a lot of oxygen. As oxygen levels get low, other marine life die. This is called a low oxygen DEAD ZONE. The dead algae sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where the oxygen can’t be replaced easily due to lack of sunlight.
Biological IndicatorsBioindicators – organisms used to monitor the
health of an ecosystem
EX: fish require a lot of oxygen – a lot of trout would mean healthy water
A lot of diversity = healthy water
A lot of Insect Larvae = clean water
BUT Blackfly larvae = polluted water because they can handle the polluted water
Stop Point – TEST WATER SAMPLES
Draw chart from the board on your paper
After testing answer the following questions:
Is your water acidic or basic? Explain.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that the pH of drinking water be between 6.5 and 8.5. Does the pH of your water fall in this range?
What’s wrong with this picture