Section 3: The Hydrosphere & Biosphere
Standards: SEV1d, SEV2b
What is the hydrosphere?
 All the water on or near the
Earth’s surface.
 Includes
 Oceans
 Lakes
 Rivers
 Wetlands
 Icecaps
 Clouds
 Soil
 Rock layers beneath
surface
What are the parts of the
hydrologic (water) cycle?
 Evaporation
 Heated by sun & turns into water
vapor
 Comes from bodies of water, plants
(transpiration), and animals
 Condensation
 Water vapor forms droplets on dust
particles, form clouds when they
collide & stick
 Precipitation
 Large droplets fall from clouds
 Can be rain, snow, sleet, hail
 Runoff/Percolation
 Water can run off land into nearest
body of water
 Water can percolate through layers
of soil and get stored underground
in aquifers.
How is water distributed on Earth?
 97% salty ocean water
 3% freshwater
 Of the 3%...


2% is unusable icecaps &
glaciers
1% is usable surface or
groundwater.
What is the difference between
ocean water & freshwater?
 Ocean water is 3.5% salt.
 Salt comes from erosion
from rocks on land over
millions of years and
underwater volcanic
eruptions.
 Salinity can vary
depending on depth of
ocean & areas of
evaporation
 EX: estuary- where
freshwater river meets
ocean.
What are the major oceans of the
world?
 Pacific
 Largest ocean
 165,640,000 km2 & avg.
depth is 4,280 meters
 Deepest point (11,033 m) is
Challenger Deep near
Philippines.
 Divided into


North Pacific- above
equator and flows clockwise
South Pacific- below
equator and flows
counterclockwise
What are the major oceans of the
world?
 Atlantic
 Second largest ocean
 81,630,000 km2
 Like Pacific, divided
into north & south with
clockwise &
counterclockwise
movement.
What are the major oceans of the
world?
 Indian
 Third largest ocean
 73,420,000 km2
 Average depth is 3,890
meters
What are the major oceans of the
world?
 Arctic
 Smallest ocean
 14,350,000 km2
 Covered by floating ice
called pack ice
What are the temperature zones of
the ocean?
 Surface zone
 Warmed by sun
 Can be mixed with
cooler layers below
 Thermocline
 Middle layer where
temperatures drop fast
with increased depth
 Deep zone
 Coldest layer b/c sun
does not reach
What is the relationship between
the ocean and atmosphere?
 Ocean has the ability to
store and radiate heat to
help control Earth’s
temperature.
 Absorbs over half the solar
radiation that reaches the
Earth’s surface
 Direction of ocean current
creates climates in inland
areas.
 EX: warm Gulf currents
bring warm moist air over
north to British Isles
Where is usable freshwater found?
 Surface water
 Moving water


Fast, cold, more oxygen
Rivers, streams



Watershed- area of land that
dumps into a tributary.
Tributaries- small streams
that empty into larger river
systems.
EX: MHS campus is
watershed for Noses creek
which is a tributary to the
Chattahoochee River
 Standing water
 Slow, warm, less oxygen
 Lakes, ponds, reservoirs
McEachern
High School
Where is usable freshwater found?
 Groundwater
 Water the seeps through
soil and gets stored in
underground rock
formations called
aquifers
 Surface of land where
water seeps is called
recharge zone.
MAJOR AQUIFERS OF THE UNITED STATES
What is the biosphere?
 Narrow layer around Earth’s
surface in which life can exist.
 Layer that gets sunlight for
plants, which provide for
animals
 Also layer that has water,
energy and moderate
temperatures
 Consists of
 Uppermost part of geosphere
 Most of the hydrosphere
 Lower part of the
atmosphere.
What is the difference between an
open & closed system?
 Closed system- energy enters
and leaves but matter does
not.
 EX: Earth- energy from sun
enters & reradiates but
energy trapped by plants
(and eventually animals)
does not leave Earth.
 Open system- both matter &
energy are exchanged by a
system.
 EX: When Earth was first
forming it was open because
constantly hit by comets &
meteors