What is the Earth's hydrosphere? What is the Earth's hydrosphere: description, diagram, components and human influence.

The hydrosphere is water shell The land between the atmosphere and the earth's crust, represented by a collection of oceans, seas and continental water masses. Hydrosphere covers 70.8% earth's surface. The volume of the hydrosphere is 1370300000. Km 3, which is 1/800 of the total volume of the planet. The mass of the hydrosphere is 1.4 ∙ 10 +18 tons, of which 98.31% falls on the oceans, seas and groundwater, 1.65% - in continental ice of the circumpolar regions and only 0.045% - in fresh waters of rivers, swamps and lakes. A small proportion of water is found in the atmosphere and living organisms. Chemical composition hydrosphere approaches average composition sea ​​water. The hydrosphere is in continuous interaction3 with the atmosphere, the earth's crust and the biosphere.

World water cycle

The water cycle is the process of circulation of water in the geographic envelope, which unites water into a single interconnected system and is the most important component of metabolism in nature. The main factors that determine this process are solar radiation and gravity. The main components of the cycle are evaporation of water, transfer of water vapor over a distance, condensation (thickening) of water vapor, precipitation, infiltration (seepage) of water into the soil and runoff.

The essence of the circuit is that under the influence solar radiation Water evaporates from the surface of the Earth (oceans, land) and enters the air in the form of water vapor. Air currents carry it over long distances. In the air, water vapor condenses and turns into droplet-liquid water, which returns in the form of precipitation back to the surface of the Earth.

Depending on the features and scale of the large, or general, and small gyres.

The Small Gyre is a gyre over individual oceans, continents or parts thereof. Over the oceans it occurs according to the following scheme: ocean - atmosphere - ocean. Water from the ocean enters the atmosphere in the form of water vapor, where it condenses and falls onto the surface of the ocean.

Small is also the local, or inland, moisture circulation, which occurs only within the land. The pattern of its movement: land - air - land. Water evaporates from land (from different water bodies, soil, vegetation, etc.), enters the air, condenses and returns to land in the form of precipitation.

Until recently, it was believed that as a result of local moisture circulation (repeated circulation of water that comes from the oceans to the continents with air), the number of opals increases significantly. This gave rise to the idea of ​​strengthening local moisture circulation in order to increase precipitation in dry areas. This idea is still relevant today. But in lately It has been proven that local moisture circulation does not increase the amount of opals much. Water vapor that enters the air from the surface of the land, air currents quickly beyond the continental boundaries. Precipitation as a result of local moisture circulation does not exceed 1/3 of all precipitation. However, they also have great value for the formation of landscapes.

The Great Cycle is a complex process. It includes land and oceans and occurs according to the scheme: oceans - atmosphere - land - oceans. Here the circle is completed by crossing land, where the water goes through a series of complex stages before returning to the ocean. Part of the water that falls on the surface of the land flows off as surface runoff (through rivers), while part of it seeps into the ground, where it forms underground drainage and feeds vegetation. Part of the water evaporates from land (from soils, water basins) and enters the air. A lot of water returns from the continents to the atmosphere through transpiration (evaporation) by plants (for every gram of dry matter created by a plant, 200 to 400 g of water is transpired), etc.

So sooner or later, in one way or another, the water that comes out of the ocean and falls over the land returns to the ocean again and closes the cycle.

The water cycle in nature is of great importance. The energy of water that reaches land during the cycle is manifested in the formation of relief, erosion of coastlines, etc. The water cycle is a powerful conductor from sea to land. It, as a component of metabolism, leads organic life on Earth. Thanks to the water cycle, there is water on land on Earth.

It was probably in the fifth grade that I became interested in geography. Then the older guys, who had been studying geography for several years, discussed something about the hydrosphere. I wondered what they were talking about and I understood that they meant something related to water. Then I searched in encyclopedias (there was the Internet, but not everywhere) and found a lot of information about the hydrosphere.

Hydrosphere

Hydrosphere - water layer of the earth. This is all the water that is on our planet. Are taken into account absolutely all waters, that is, and fresh water from rivers, and undrinkable water of seas, oceans, swamps, and even that water that is in the atmosphere or is a multi-ton iceberg, all this is part of the hydrosphere.

Ocean water - 96.4 percent, glacier water - 1.86 percent, underground reservoirs - 1.68 percent, surface water that cannot flow (lakes, reservoirs, etc.) - 0.02 percent, water in the most earth (in soil) - 0.01 percent, steam (including clouds) - a thousandth of a percent, river water - 0.0001 percent.

More details about the composition of the hydrosphere

All waters entering the hydrosphere are divided into:

  • World ocean(water of all open seas and oceans).
  • Continental waters(rivers and lakes, some types of seas).
  • Surface water(water flowing or collecting on the surface of the earth).
  • Groundwater(water contained in the bowels of the earth).

Problems of the hydrosphere

First of all, it is worth noting that the total one percent water - fresh water. That is, humanity uses just an insignificant part of all water resources. Water desalination is an important task for the scientific community, because in units, agriculture and simply cannot be used in everyday life salt water.

Another problem is water pollution. Since ancient times, people have been dumping waste into nearby bodies of water. The roads of medieval cities always carried sewage straight into the nearest river. Now factories and factories are pouring chemical (and not always safe) waste into rivers, and some into the ocean. Garbage is also thrown into the ocean. A striking example- a garbage patch near the island of Java that covers tens of meters and consists of plastic.


Helpful1 Not very helpful

Comments0

My zodiac sign is Pisces. I just love swimming, I have been swimming for many years and I can say that water is my second element! I use this rich resource in my everyday life. I began to think globally about the role of water on Earth while growing up. Then, in fact, I learned about the importance of the hydrosphere.


Details about the hydrosphere

If you look at our planet from space, you might think that there was a mistake with the name Earth, since 71% of the planet's surface is water. But there is no error. The mass of water, or more correctly, the hydrosphere, on the planet is only 1/4000 of the mass of the entire planet. If we talk in simple language, the hydrosphere is the liquid (water) component of the Earth.

The hydrosphere includes:

  • oceans;
  • seas;
  • ponds;
  • rivers;
  • streams.

But this watery shell of the Earth also exists in the form of steam or ice. For example, water vapor can be in the form of clouds and fog. In turn, the frozen part of the hydrosphere consists of glaciers, ice caps and icebergs.

Cycles in the hydrosphere

The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the earth's surface, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in the clouds, and returns to the earth as precipitation. The water that falls to earth is collected in rivers and lakes, soil and porous layers of rock, and much of it flows back into the oceans, where it evaporates again. The cycling of water into and out of the atmosphere is an important aspect weather conditions on Earth.


Features of the water cycle in nature:

  • the main engine of the cycle is the Sun;
  • the main consumer of solar energy and supplier of water vapor into the atmosphere is the world ocean;
  • in a liquid state, water evaporates and rises into the atmosphere;
  • steam condenses in the atmosphere, turning into clouds;
  • in the form of precipitation, water returns to the earth again - the cycle is completed

All kinds of industry negatively affect the cycles of the hydrosphere, thereby disturbing the natural balance. We regularly hear on the news how quickly all kinds of natural disasters- floods, melting glaciers, etc.

Helpful0 Not very useful

Comments0

It seems to me that of all the geospheres, the atmosphere is the most widely heard. Holiday atmosphere, air pollution - these are the phrases I have heard since early childhood. But I learned about the concept of hydrosphere at school.

I recognized the name, the acquaintance took place, but it was very strange, because suddenly it turned out that the hydrosphere and I had “known” each other for a long time!

Now I will explain in more detail.


Hydrosphere - what is it

Hydrosphere- This is one of the geospheres (shells) of the Earth.

Hydrospheric objects include water in any forms and quantities, for example:

  • oceans;
  • seas;
  • rivers;
  • lakes;
  • any small bodies of water;
  • groundwater;
  • water vapor

Snow cover and glaciers are also composed of water, but they are often separated into cryosphere.

Hydrosphere is in constant contact with other geospheres:

  • pedosphere(soil);
  • atmosphere(air);
  • biosphere(living organisms).

Water spaces influence the formation climate And relief, water nourishes plants and animals, and bodies of water are home to many species of flora and fauna.

Without the hydrosphere, life on Earth would be impossible.

Unusual inhabitants of the hydrosphere

Once upon a time, life began in water. And now the water is still churning with it. Even in small puddles you can find entire mini-communities of living organisms.


And about the depths ocean, which are still very little researched, one can talk endlessly. Inland water bodies are home to both the most common species, as well as rare species from the Red Book, and even even endemic ones.

Of particular interest to me are freshwater seals, which include:

The latter lives in Finland. All these seals are endemic their lakes. Apart from these reservoirs, they are not found anywhere else.


Freshwater seals perfectly illustrate hydrosphere variability And lithosphere(earth's crust). Land areas constantly rise and fall above the water level, water spaces are either separated or connected to each other.

And once upon a time ancestors of these seals there were exits to the seas and oceans. Now their habitat is limited to lakes, in which they persisted even after the connection with the “big water” was severed.

Helpful0 Not very useful

Comments0

Back in school, we were taught that life on Earth began about three and a half billion years ago. All my attempts to find out for sure from books exactly how this happened were unsuccessful. Later I found out that there is still no exact answer. However, the vast majority of scientists believe that, in one form or another, first formations, which can be attributed to organisms, formed in the hydrosphere.


What is the hydrosphere

The name hydrosphere comes from two Greek words meaning water and globe. Actually, the hydrosphere is water shell of the Earth. The hydrosphere is part of the biosphere, which will have the following layers selected:

  • aerobiosphere, including moisture necessary for the life of microorganisms in the atmosphere;
  • geobiosphere, where the environment for life is earth with underground moisture;
  • hydrobiosphere, not including waters located underground.

The mass of the hydrosphere is approximately 275 times more mass of the Earth's atmosphere and approximately forty thousand times less the mass of the Earth itself.

The hydrosphere is the environment for the origin of life

Ocean waters form the basis of the Earth's hydrosphere, more than 96% of the total volume. Oceans occupy, in general, more than 70% percent of the total surface of the Earth. This part of the hydrosphere constantly interacts with the earth's crust and atmosphere. Ocean salinity, on average, is approximately 35 ppm, which corresponds to the content of 35 grams of salt in one kilogram of water. Traditionally it is believed that life originated in the ocean on Earth, and only at the beginning of the Paleozoic did life reach land. Over the previous decade, a number of scientists began to lean towards the opinion that life originated in the waters underwater volcanoes or geysers, in a hot environment mineral water. These assumptions were confirmed by a number of experiments.


Recently I have become curious about theories that life on Earth came from space thanks to meteorites, and also cosmic dust. These hypotheses are gaining more and more supporters among scientists. But even in this case, the hydrosphere plays a decisive role in the process evolution of life on Earth.

Helpful0 Not very useful

Comments0

When I took the exam geography, I came across a ticket with exactly this question. Since I deservedly received an “A”, I will try to supplement the answers by indicating interesting facts .


What does the term "hydrosphere" mean?

Science gives this definition: the watery shell of the planet located between the lithosphere and atmosphere. The largest mass of water, about 91%, is dispersed between oceans, seas, lakes and rivers. Next come groundwater , and only then snow and ice at the poles and in mountainous regions. In total, according to estimates, on our planet there are about 1.5 billion km2 of water. This, like oxygen, is one of the key elements for the existence of life. Indeed, the role of water is difficult to overestimate: the human body contains about 80% this liquid, it influences the formation of relief and cycle chemical elements .


Hydrospheric water volumes

Let me give you some numbers indicating distribution of total volume. So:

  • sea ​​and ocean waters - 90%;
  • ground water bodies -1%;
  • snow and ice - 2%;
  • groundwater - 7%.

The most deep river planets - Amazon. Some sources claim that it falls to her share one fifth of all freshwater flowing into the ocean. This largely depends on the climate, which contributes to such filling.


The most big lake . Everyone who hears this word imagines quiet pond surrounded by vegetation. However, there are also lakes where storm waves are not at all rare, and their size exceeds the seas. Oddly enough, but the largest lake is Caspian Sea. In fact, this is really a lake, because in fact no drainage, and they call it the sea because large size. Its area and volume often change depending on the water level. Average depth about 215 meters, and the volume is approximately 70,000 m3.


Most big ocean - Quiet- the largest and deepest body of water on the planet. Its area is 179 million km2, which is much exceeds the area of ​​all continents, and twice as large as the Atlantic. It falls to his lot more than half of all water resources and half of the world's oceans.


The largest sea is the Philippine Sea. It is also the deepest of all the seas, with an average depth of just over 4,000 meters. Within its boundaries is the deepest point on the planet - Mariana Trench, where a depth of 11 kilometers was recorded.


The largest glacier is the Lambert Glacier. Its width is more than 60 kilometers and its length is about 750 kilometers. The most interesting thing is that the glacier contains about 14% of all fresh water in the world.

Helpful0 Not very useful

Comments0

At the end of the first semester of the second year we had to take a test in hydrology, the professor decided to give the test automatically, but only to those who attended lectures. And, as you know, not all students have high attendance. If Nikolai Petrovich, having opened the record book, saw a familiar face, then without question he put a mark in it about the delivery. Those whom he did not remember, the professor asked something. When the speech reached Tanya, the teacher looked at her carefully and asked: “ What is the hydrosphere?"She clearly answered that uhthat part of the geosphere, which is the water shell of our planet. “What do you think about hydrology in general,” the professor asked. To which Tanya said: “I read it all night, I liked it so much!”:)))


What is the hydrosphere

So, The hydrosphere is the totality of all water on the globe, in any state of aggregation. It includes: seas and oceans, lakes and rivers, springs and underground waters, ice and snow, water vapor in the atmosphere and water of living organisms. The role of this earthly shell It’s difficult to overestimate this:

  • maintaining a constant climate(H2O accumulates heat; in addition, the climate directly depends on precipitation);
  • providing the planet with oxygen(almost half of all O₂ is produced by phytoplankton inhabiting water bodies);
  • Without water, the origin and existence of all life on Earth is impossible.


Gyres

As far as I remember from hydrology course, one of the main characteristics of the watery earthly sphere is its unity, A small ones provide this(mainland and oceanic) and the large H2O cycle. With direct participation sun rays Water evaporates, condenses in the atmosphere and falls back in the form of various sedimentary phenomena. When water evaporates from a solid surface and falls as precipitation on it, we can talk about a small cycle, from the ocean surface - it’s not hard to guess we're talking about about the oceanic cycle. But Both land and ocean take part in large water circulation. Masses of evaporated water (in a state of steam) are moved by winds from the ocean to the continents, pouring rain and covering the ground with snow; the moisture, overcoming the thickness of the soil, enters the groundwater, and then, with runoff, ends up back in the ocean. The large or global water cycle serves as a mechanism for cleansing and renewing all parts of the hydrosphere.


Water, and therefore the hydrosphere, is the basis of life. And it is within our power to at least try to preserve it for ourselves and future generations.

Helpful0 Not very useful

Comments0

The concept of the hydrosphere. The hydrosphere (from the Greek hydor - water and sphaira - ball) is the water shell of the Earth, which is a collection of oceans, seas and surface waters of the land. It includes all chemical bound water, regardless of its state of aggregation. Of the 1.4 billion km 3 of the total volume of water in the hydrosphere, about 96.5% comes from the World Ocean, 1.7% from groundwater, just over 1.7% from glaciers and polar ice, less than 0.01% from to surface waters of land. The abundance of water is a cosmic feature of the Earth. Water is the most common mineral on Earth.

A small amount of water is contained in the atmosphere in the form of water vapor, spreading to a height of 10-15 km and the biosphere. IN earth's crust water is found at depths of up to 20 km. The earth’s crust, according to V.I. Vernadsky’s definition, contains as much of it as the World Ocean. The hydrosphere is one.

Origin of the hydrosphere. The hydrosphere on our planet appeared simultaneously with the formation of the primary earth's crust about 4-5 billion years ago. The hydrosphere was formed mainly due to volcanism and water-containing meteorites and icy cores of comets falling to the Earth. It is known that gases released into the atmosphere during eruptions contain up to 80% water vapor. It is formed from water that is part of magma. There it is contained in a chemically bound form. Currently, volcanoes annually release approximately 130 million tons of water, and the amount of water coming to Earth from Space is estimated at about 1.5 billion tons per year.

Properties of water. Water has amazing properties, some of them are not inherent in any other natural bodies.

v Water is the only mineral that exists in natural conditions simultaneously in solid, liquid and gaseous states. The transition from one state to another occurs constantly, as a result of which the water cycle in nature is observed.

v Isotopic composition natural waters diverse. If hydrogen in a water molecule is replaced by an isotope of hydrogen - deuterium (H2), such water is called heavy.

v Water is the most heat-capacity body on Earth. This additional reserve heat on Earth, since moist air masses, entering colder territory, emit large number heat due to the transition of water from a gaseous state to a liquid or solid. When water evaporates, the reverse process occurs - heat absorption.

v When the temperature drops from +4 to 0ºС, water increases its volume.

v Water has the highest surface tension and wetting ability after mercury. This property is associated with the peculiarities of water circulation in soils and rocks ah, the movement of juices in plants, blood circulation in animals.

v Water is a universal solvent.

v Water easily interacts with many substances.

World water cycle. Water cycle- the process of continuous movement of water under the influence of solar energy and gravity, covering the entire geographical envelope. The following links are distinguished in the water cycle: atmospheric, oceanic and continental. The atmospheric link of the water cycle is the transfer of moisture during movement air masses and education atmospheric precipitation; oceanic - evaporation of water, which is continuously restored due to condensation of water vapor in the atmosphere and precipitation of water, and continental - mobile river and soil waters, characterized by great complexity. The water cycle consists of evaporation from the surface of the Ocean, the transfer of water vapor by air currents, its condensation in the atmosphere, precipitation, its infiltration and the penetration of surface and underground runoff of land into the ocean. In the process of the World Water Cycle, for example, groundwater is renewed over hundreds, thousands and millions of years , polar glaciers - for 8-15 thousand years, waters of the World Ocean - for 2.5-3 thousand years, closed and drainless lakes - for 200-300 years, flowing lakes - for several years, rivers - for 12-14 days, water vapor in the atmosphere - in 8 days, water in organisms - in several hours.

About 520 thousand km 3 takes part in the water cycle , which is 7.5 times the volume of the Black Sea. The main link in the cycle process is evaporation. Every year, a layer of water 1.24 m thick evaporates from the surface of the World Ocean, which is replenished by precipitation over the ocean and river flow. A small cycle is distinguished, including the evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean, the condensation of water vapor in the atmosphere and the fall of precipitation on the surface of the ocean. Part of the water evaporated from the surface of the ocean is carried by air currents to land, where it falls to the surface in the form of precipitation, evaporates and enters back into the atmosphere. The other part flows through land and underground routes into relief depressions, feeding rivers and standing reservoirs. The process of water evaporation and precipitation on land can be repeated many times, but eventually the moisture brought from the ocean by air currents returns to the ocean again through river and underground runoff. This is a large water cycle. The hydrosphere serves as a planetary accumulator of inorganic and organic matter that are carried into the ocean by river waters, precipitation, and also form in the reservoirs themselves. The amount of water participating in the cycle remains almost unchanged, but the proportions of water in different branches of the cycle change at different times. The global water cycle connects all the outer shells of the Earth and organisms.

World Ocean

General information about the World Ocean. About 3/4 of the area globe covered with water. The world's oceans include oceans, seas, bays and straits. Ocean waters are distributed unevenly on the earth's surface. In the Southern Hemisphere, their area is 5 times greater than the land area, and in the Northern Hemisphere it is only 1.5 times. That's why Northern Hemisphere can be called “continental”, and the South - “oceanic”. The average depth of the World Ocean is 3700 m, the greatest is 11022 m ( Mariana Trench). Swiss explorer Jacques Piccard descended to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 1960 and reached a depth of almost 11 kilometers. The volume of waters of the World Ocean is 1,338,000,000 km 3 . Continents and islands divide the single World Ocean into parts - oceans.

Composition of the World Ocean. The ocean is one, from any point you can get to any other point without crossing land. Currently there are four oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. The boundaries of the oceans coincide for a considerable extent with the shores of continents and islands. And where the oceans communicate freely, the border is drawn conditionally along the meridians of the capes: Horn (South America), Agulhas (Africa), South (Tasmania) - to Antarctica. The oceans jut into the land with seas and bays.

Oceans and types of seas. The World Ocean is divided into the Pacific (178.684 million km 2), Atlantic (91.655 million km 2), Indian (76.175 million . km 2) and the Arctic (I4.699 million km 2). Pacific Ocean the largest and deepest on the globe. It occupies almost half the area of ​​the World Ocean, exceeding the area of ​​the entire landmass of the Earth. It has existed since the beginning of the formation of the earth's crust.

Atlantic Ocean ranks second in area and depth. Characterized by the most active shipping. Indian Ocean located almost entirely between the tropics and therefore its waters are the warmest. Northern Arctic Ocean is the smallest in area, and most of it is covered almost all year round ice.

Seas- parts of the oceans isolated from the ocean by land, peninsulas, islands, straits, rapids or underwater mountain ranges. Unlike a lake, the sea is connected to the ocean. According to the degree of isolation from the ocean and position to the mainland, Mediterranean ones are distinguished, located in geosynclinal areas between different continents(Mediterranean, Caribbean, Red, etc.); internal, lying inside the continents (Baltic, White, Black, Marble); semi-closed (Beringovo, Northern, Okhotsk); open, or marginal (Barents, Kara, Arabian) and interisland (Javan, Sulawesi) seas. The seas are connected to the oceans through straits.

Strait- a narrow body of water separating two continents or islands and connecting adjacent water basins, limited on both sides by land (Bering, Magellan, Gibraltar). The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the narrowest and deepest straits in the world (length 65 km, width 14-44, maximum depth 1181 m). The widest strait is the Drake Passage (900 km), and the longest is the Mozambique Passage (1670 km).

Bay- a part of the ocean, sea or lake that extends deep into the land. The Atlantic Ocean forms the Bay of Biscay, and the Indian Ocean forms the Bay of Bengal.

Within the World Ocean, there are areas of land surrounded on all sides by water, which are called islands. A group of closely located islands is called archipelago (Japanese islands, Greater Antilles). Areas of land that jut out into oceans and seas and are surrounded on three sides by water are called peninsulas (Arabian Peninsula, Indian Peninsula).

Relief of the bottom of the World Ocean. There is much in common between the land relief and the seabed relief. On the seabed there are sea plains, high plateaus and mountainous countries. At the same time, the relief of the seabed is less dissected.

The following morphological elements of relief are distinguished:

Ø Continental shelf, or shelf (littoral) - a shallow part bordering the continent with depths from 0 to 200 m.

Ø Continental or coastal, slope (batial) - depth area from 200 to 2500 m.

Ø Ocean bed (abyssal) - spaces with depths from 2500 to 6000 m. This part of the ocean floor accounts for 80% of its area.

Ø Deeps, depressions (abyssal trenches) - areas with depths of more than 6000 m.

The bottom topography of all oceans is characterized by the following:

· the central parts are most often occupied by uplifts that have the character of underwater mountain ranges;

· the deepest places are usually located near continents or archipelagos.

At the bottom of the oceans, mid-ocean ridges are formed - grandiose underwater mountain systems with a total length of up to 80,000 km, extending to all oceans. In their axial part, magma rises from the mantle, which, when solidified, pushes the ocean floor apart. At the same time, volcanoes shift, fade and turn into seamounts. IN warm waters Volcanoes that rise to the surface of the ocean are overgrown with ring coral reefs.

Silt deposits accumulate at the bottom of seas and oceans. In the shelf zone there are continental sediments, in the bathyal part there are silts of organic origin, as well as radiolarian (in tropical seas) and diatomaceous (in arctic seas) silt. At the depth of the abyssal, the bottom is covered with red deep-sea clay, which is volcanic dust, remains of colloidal clay and cosmic dust.

River basin- the area from which a river and its tributaries collect water. Swamp- an excessively moist area of ​​land with moisture-loving vegetation and a peat layer of at least 0.3 m. The water in swamps is in a bound state. There are two main types of swamps - upland swamps (in which moisture comes only from precipitation and dry out in its absence) and lowland swamps (fed by groundwater or river water, relatively rich in salts). Main reason formation of swamps - excessive moisture in combination with a high level of groundwater due to the close occurrence of water-resistant rocks to the surface and flat terrain.

Watershed- the line dividing the basins of two rivers or oceans, usually passing through elevated areas.

water sushi- part of the hydrosphere, these include groundwater, rivers, lakes, swamps, glaciers.

Unrest- These are predominantly oscillatory movements of water of different nature (wind, tidal, seismic). What is common to all types of waves is oscillatory motion particles of water, in which a mass of water moves around one point.

Geysers- springs that periodically emit fountains of water and steam, which are a manifestation of the late stages of volcanism. Known in Iceland, USA, New Zealand, Kamchatka.

Water shell of the Earth. The total volume of water in the hydrosphere is 1.4 billion km 3, 96.5% of which falls on the World Ocean, 1.7% on groundwater, about 1.8% on glaciers, less than 0.01% on surface water land (rivers, lakes, swamps).

Delta- a low-lying plain in the lower reaches of a river, composed of sediment brought by the river and cut through a network of channels.

Bay- a part of the ocean, sea or lake that cuts into land and has free water exchange with the main part of the reservoir. A small bay, well protected from the wind, is called a bay. A bay separated from the sea by a sand spit, in which there is a narrow strait (often formed at the mouth of a river) - an estuary. In northern Russia, a bay that juts deep into the land into which a river flows is called a gulf. Deep, long bays with winding shores are fjords.

One or several rivers flow from waste lakes (Baikal, Ontario, Victoria). Lakes that do not have a drainage are drainless (Caspian, Mortvoe, Chad). Endorheic lakes are often saline (salt content above 1%). Depending on the degree of salinity, lakes are fresh and salty.

Source- the place where a river originates (for example: a spring, lake, swamp, glacier in the mountains).

Glaciers- natural moving accumulations of ice formed from precipitation above the snow line (the level above which snow does not melt). The height of the snow line is determined by temperature, which is related to the latitude of the area and the degree of continental climate, and the amount of solid precipitation. A glacier has a feeding area (i.e., ice accumulation) and an ice melting area. The ice in the glacier, under the influence of gravity, moves from the feeding area to the melting area at a speed of several tens of meters per year (see diagram 1 on p. 76). Total area glaciers - 11% of the land surface with a volume of 30 million km 3. If all glaciers melted, the level of the world's oceans would rise by 66 m.

Low water- a period of low water level in the river.

World ocean - main part hydrosphere, which accounts for 71% of the globe's area (in the Northern Hemisphere - 61%, in the Southern - 81%). The world ocean is conventionally divided into four oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic. Some researchers identify a fifth - Southern Ocean. It includes water Southern Hemisphere between Antarctica and the southern tips of the continents South America, Africa and Australia.

Permafrost- rocks in the upper part of the earth's crust that remain permanently frozen or thaw only in the summer. The formation of permafrost occurs in very low temperatures and low snow depth. The thickness of the permafrost layer can reach 600 m. The area of ​​permafrost in the world is 35 million km2, including 10 million km2 in Russia.

Sea- a part of the ocean, more or less separated by islands, peninsulas or underwater hills, characterized by a special hydrological regime. There are seas internal- protruding deeply into the continent (Mediterranean, Baltic) and outlying- adjacent to the mainland and slightly isolated from the ocean (Okhotsk, Beringovo).

Lake- a reservoir of slow water exchange, located in a closed natural depression (basin) of the land surface. Based on their origin, lake basins are divided into tectonic, volcanic, dam, glacial, karst, floodplain (oxbow lakes), and estuary. By water regime a distinction is made between waste and non-waste (Table 1, p. 76).

Flood- short-term, irregular rise in water level.

Groundwater- waters contained in the upper (12-16 km) thickness of the earth’s crust in liquid, solid and gaseous states. The possibility of water being found in the earth's crust is determined by the porosity of rocks. Permeable rocks (gravel, pebbles, sands) allow water to pass through well. Water-resistant rocks are fine-grained, weakly or completely impervious to water (clays, granites, basalts). According to the conditions of occurrence, groundwater is divided into soil (water in a bound state in the soil), groundwater (the first constant from the surface aquifer, lying on the first waterproof horizon), interstratal waters(confined between waterproof horizons), including artesian (pressure interstratal).

Floodplain- Part river valley, flooded during high waters and floods. The slopes of the valley usually rise above the floodplain, often in stepped shapes - terraces.

High water- annually recurring period high level water in the river caused by the main food source. Types of river feeding: rain, snow, glacial, underground.

Strait- a relatively narrow body of water that separates two land areas and connects adjacent water basins or parts thereof. The deepest and widest strait is the Drake Strait, the longest is the Mozambique Strait.

River mode- regular changes in the state of the river, due to the physical and geographical properties of its basin and climatic features.

River- a constant water flow flowing in a depression he himself developed - a channel.

river valley- a depression in the relief at the bottom of which a river flows.

River system- a river with its tributaries. The name of the river system is given by main river. The largest river systems world - Amazon, Congo, Mississippi and Missouri, Ob and Irtysh.

Salinity of sea water- the amount of salts in grams dissolved in 1 kg (l) of sea water. The average salinity of water in the ocean is 35%o, the maximum - up to 42%o - in the Red Sea.

Water temperature in the ocean depends on the amount of solar heat reaching its surface. Average annual temperature surface water is 17.5°, at a depth of 3000-4000 m it usually ranges from +2° to 0 °C.

Currents- translational movements of water masses in the ocean, arising under the influence of various forces. Currents can also be classified by temperature (warm, cold and neutral), by time of existence (short-term, periodic and permanent), depending on depth (surface, deep and bottom).

Estuary- the place where a river flows into a sea, lake or other river.

Estuary- a funnel-shaped flooded mouth of a river, expanding towards the sea. Forms near rivers flowing into seas, where the influence of movements is strong ocean waters(tides, waves, currents) at the mouth of a river.

Leave your comment, thank you!



Related articles