Distribution of Earth’s Water
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Transcript of Distribution of Earth’s Water
Distribution of Earth’s Water
The OceansWater covers about 75% of the Earth’s surface
97% is salt water3% is fresh water
only 1% of fresh water can be used
There are 4 major bodies of water:Atlantic OceanPacific OceanIndian OceanArctic Ocean
Ice- 76% of fresh water
- Most of Earth’s fresh water is locked in thick sheets of ice near the North and South Poles. - Icebergs – huge chunks of floating ice made of fresh water.
Rivers and Lakes– .34% of fresh water– Very little fresh water but important
to people who live near them.
Groundwater- 23% of fresh water (shallow and deep combined)- Water fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers.
Surface WaterRiver Systemsa. Tributary – streams and smaller rivers that feed into a main
riverb. Watershed – land area that supplies water to a river system.c. Divide – separates one watershed from another by a ridge
of land
Ponda. Body of fresh, standing waterb. Smaller than lakes – sunlight reaches the bottomc. Formed when water collects in hollows or low-lying areas of landd. Home too many animals including frogs, crayfish, sunfish, water lilies, algae, etc.
Lakes- Body of fresh water that no sunlight reaches the bottom- Deep and big- Formed two ways
Same as a pondPowerful forces that shape Earth’s surface such as ice depressions, crust movement or volcanoes
Wetlands – a land area that is covered with water during part or all of the year.– 3 types
• Marshes – grass covered by shallow water• Swamps – flooded forests with trees – usually in warm,
humid climates• Bogs – depression from ice sheets – usually in cold climates
Water UndergroundMovement– Permeable – water runs through the ground
• Gravel– Impermeable – water cannot pass through easily
• Clay• Granite
ZonesSaturated – soil is totally
filled with waterUnsaturated – soil can
still accept water
Ground water– Springs – ground water bubbles or flows out of
cracks in rock to Earth’s surface– Aquifer – underground rock or sediment that
holds water– Well – channel dug into an aquifer to provide a
supply of water– Geyser – hot spring from which water periodically
erupts out
Using Freshwater Resources
How People Use Fresh Water– Household purposes– Industry– Transportation– Agriculture• Irrigation – supplying water to areas of land to make
them suitable for growing crops– Recreation
Conserving WaterReduceRecycleReuse
Pollution – addition of any substance that has a negative effect on water or the living things that depend on the water