The Structure of the Hydrosphere

8th Grade Science

The Structure of Hydrosphere

Oceans—96.5% of water found here

Fresh water—3% of water found here

The Structure of Hydrosphere

Fresh water distribution: Ice: 2.3% Groundwater: 0.4% Surface Fresh

Water: 0.05% Atmosphere and

soil: 0.05%

Understanding Where Your Water Is Located—Oceans and Ice

What bodies of water hold the largest amount of water? Oceans—the largest bodies of water on Earth

(contain salt water only)

Understanding Where Your Water Is Located—Oceans and Ice

What features house water as ice? Icebergs: a large piece of freshwater ice floating in

open waters Glaciers: any large mass of ice that moves slowly

over land *permanent snow areas also “house” water as ice

Frozen Wave

Snow

Fresh Water Locations—Surface Water

What is the difference between a watershed and a river basin?Both terms describe land that drains into a

river, stream or lakeRiver Basin: the term used to describe an area

that drains into a large riverWatershed: the term used to describe an area

that drains into a smaller river or stream

Fresh Water Locations—River Basins and WatershedsLarger 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 ocean

Fresh Water Locations—Rivers, Streams, and Lakes

What is a river? A large channel along which water is continually

flowing down a slope—made of many streams that come together

What is a stream? A small channel along which water is continually

flowing down a slope—made of small gullies What is a lake?

A body of water of considerable size contained on a body of land

Fresh Water Locations--Groundwater

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

How water moves underground

Where does ground water come from? Precipitation! Precipitation can evaporate, run off

the surface or soak into the underground. Water trickles down between particles of soil and

through cracks and spaces in layers of rock.

Effects of different materials.

What are permeable materials? Materials that are full of tiny, connected air spaces, that water

can seep through.

What are impermeable materials? Materials such as clay and granite that water cannot seep

through easily.

Water Zones

The area of permeable rock or soil that is totally filled

with water is called the saturated zone. The top of that saturated zone is called the water table.

Soil and rock layers above the water table contain some moisture too, but here the pores contain air. They are not saturated. This is known as the unsaturated zone.

Wells

A water well is a structure created in the ground by digging or drilling access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by a pump.

An artisan well is drawn up when water rises because of pressure within an aquifer.

Other Surface Waters 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 marshes

Swamp: a wetland dominated by trees Bogs: a wetland dominated by peat moss Marshes: a wetland dominated by grasses

ICYMI (in case you missed it )

High heat of vaporization the heat absorbed per unit mass of a given material at its 

boiling point that completely converts the material to a gas at the same temperature.