Elements of the Hydrosphere

CK-12 (n.d.) staes that "The hydrosphere refers to all the water that is on the earth, this includes water found on the surface of the earth, underground, and in the atmosphere. These bodies of water exist in many different forms all of which make up the different components of the hydrosphere. The different components of the hydrosphere are: Ocean, Rivers, Lakes, Glaciers, Groundwater, and water vapour

### **Ocean**

"The ocean is a huge body of saltwater that covers about 71 percent of Earth’s surface. The planet has one global ocean, though oceanographers and the countries of the world have traditionally divided it into four distinct regions: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic oceans. Beginning in the 20th century, some oceanographers labeled the seas around Antarctica the Southern Ocean, and in 2021 National Geographic officially recognized this fifth ocean." (National Geographic Society, 2023).

### **Lake**

"A lake is a body of water that is surrounded by land. There are millions of lakes in the world. They are found on every continent and in every kind of environment—in mountains and deserts, on plains, and near seashores. Lakes vary greatly in size. Some measure only a few square meters and are small enough to fit in your backyard. Such small lakes are often referred to as ponds. Other lakes are so big that they are called seas. The Caspian Sea, in Europe and Asia, is the world’s largest lake, with an area of more than 370,000 square kilometers (143,000 square miles)." (Rutledge, 2023).

#### **Rivers**

"A river is a ribbon-like body of water that flows downhill from the force of gravity. A river can be wide and deep, or shallow enough for a person to wade across. A flowing body of water that is smaller than a river is called a stream, creek, or brook. Some rivers flow year-round, while others flow only during certain seasons or when there has been a lot of rain. The largest rivers can be thousands of miles long. The erosional power of rivers can form geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon."(National Geographic Society, 2023).

### Groundwater

"The water that is found under the surface in the saturated zone of rock and soil is called groundwater. Rain that penetrates into the voids and fractures beneath the surface of the soil replenishes, or recharges, groundwater resources.  Typically, subsurface geological formations called aquifers are used to store groundwater. Aquifers are water-transmitting and -storing permeable sedimentary or rock layers. Aquifers can have a range of characteristics that affect how quickly water moves through them." (Anderson, 2021).

### Glacier

"Glaciers are massive bodies of slowly moving ice. Glaciers form on land, and they are made up of fallen snow that gets compressed into ice over many centuries. They move slowly downward from the pull of gravity. Glaciers can range in age from a couple hundred to thousands of years old. Most glaciers today are remnants of the massive ice sheets that covered Earth during the Ice Age. The Ice Age ended more than 10,000 years ago. During Earth’s history, there have been colder periods—when glaciers formed—and warmer periods—when glaciers melted."(National Geographic Society, 2023).

### Water Vapour

"Water vapor is also the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Heat radiated from Earth's surface is absorbed by water vapor molecules in the lower atmosphere. The water vapor molecules, in turn, radiate heat in all directions. Some of the heat returns to the Earth's surface. Thus, water vapor is a second source of warmth (in addition to sunlight) at the Earth's surface."(NASA Earth Observatory, n.d.).

The next page Representation of the hydrosphere throughout time and space, along with relevant folklore