Bodies of WaterBodies of Water

Presentation created by Robert MartinezPrimary Content Source: McDougal Little World Geography

Without both freshwater Without both freshwater and saltwater, life on this and saltwater, life on this

planet would be impossible.planet would be impossible.

Water not only supports Water not only supports plants and animals, it helps plants and animals, it helps

distribute heat on the distribute heat on the earth. earth.

The ocean is an The ocean is an interconnected body of salt interconnected body of salt water that covers about 71 water that covers about 71

percent of our planet. percent of our planet.

The ocean covers a little more The ocean covers a little more than 60 percent of the than 60 percent of the

Northern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere and about 81 percent of the about 81 percent of the Southern Hemisphere.Southern Hemisphere.

Even though it is one ocean, Even though it is one ocean, geographers divide it into four main geographers divide it into four main parts: the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific parts: the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific

Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean, which is sometimes Arctic Ocean, which is sometimes considered part of the Atlantic.considered part of the Atlantic.

The largest of the oceans is The largest of the oceans is the Pacific. the Pacific.

The waters near Antarctica The waters near Antarctica are sometimes called the are sometimes called the

Southern Ocean. Southern Ocean.

The salty water of the ocean The salty water of the ocean circulates through three circulates through three basic motions: currents, basic motions: currents,

waves, and tides. waves, and tides.

Currents act like rivers Currents act like rivers flowing through the ocean.flowing through the ocean.

Waves are swells or ridges Waves are swells or ridges produced by winds. produced by winds.

Tides are the regular rises Tides are the regular rises and falls of the ocean and falls of the ocean

created by the gravitational created by the gravitational pull of the moon or the sun. pull of the moon or the sun.

The motion of the ocean The motion of the ocean helps distribute heat on the helps distribute heat on the

planet.planet.

Winds blow over the ocean Winds blow over the ocean and are either heated or and are either heated or

cooled by the water. cooled by the water.

When the winds eventually When the winds eventually blow over the land, they blow over the land, they

moderate the temperature moderate the temperature of the air over the land.of the air over the land.

The hydrologic cycle is the The hydrologic cycle is the continuous circulation of continuous circulation of

water between the water between the atmosphere, the oceans, atmosphere, the oceans,

and the earth. and the earth.

Water evaporates into the Water evaporates into the atmosphere from the atmosphere from the

surface of the oceans, other surface of the oceans, other bodies of water, and from bodies of water, and from

plants.plants.

The water exists in the The water exists in the atmosphere as vapor.atmosphere as vapor.

Eventually, the vapor cools, Eventually, the vapor cools, condenses, and falls to condenses, and falls to

earth as precipitation, rain earth as precipitation, rain or snow. or snow.

The water soaks into the The water soaks into the ground, evaporates to the ground, evaporates to the atmosphere, or flows into atmosphere, or flows into

rivers to be recycled. rivers to be recycled.

Lakes hold more than 95 Lakes hold more than 95 percent of all the earth’s percent of all the earth’s

fresh water supply. fresh water supply.

The largest freshwater lake The largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Russia.is Lake Baikal in Russia.

Lake Baikal volume of Lake Baikal volume of water equal water equal

18 % of all freshwater on 18 % of all freshwater on earth.earth.

Freshwater lakes like the Freshwater lakes like the Great Lakes of North America Great Lakes of North America are the result of glacial action are the result of glacial action

thousands of years ago.thousands of years ago.

Saltwater lakes result from Saltwater lakes result from changes in the earth’s changes in the earth’s

surface that cut off outlets surface that cut off outlets to the sea. to the sea.

The Great Salt Lake in Utah The Great Salt Lake in Utah is the remnant of a large is the remnant of a large

freshwater lake, Lake freshwater lake, Lake Bonneville. Bonneville.

Its water outflows were cut Its water outflows were cut off, causing the remaining off, causing the remaining water to become more salty water to become more salty

as the water evaporated.as the water evaporated.

The largest saltwater lake The largest saltwater lake is the Caspian Sea in is the Caspian Sea in

Western Asia. Western Asia.

Rivers and streams flow Rivers and streams flow through channels and move through channels and move

water to or from larger water to or from larger bodies of water. bodies of water.

Rivers and streams connect into Rivers and streams connect into drainage systems that work like drainage systems that work like

the branches of a tree, with the branches of a tree, with smaller branches, called smaller branches, called

tributaries, feeding into larger tributaries, feeding into larger and larger ones.and larger ones.

Geographers call an area Geographers call an area drained by a major river drained by a major river

and its tributaries a and its tributaries a drainage basin.drainage basin.

Some water on the surface Some water on the surface of the earth is held by the of the earth is held by the soil, and some flows into soil, and some flows into

the pores of the rock below the pores of the rock below the soil. the soil.

The water held in the pores The water held in the pores of rock is called ground of rock is called ground

water. water.

The level at which the rock The level at which the rock is saturated marks the rim is saturated marks the rim

of the water table. of the water table.

The water table can rise or fall The water table can rise or fall depending on the amount of depending on the amount of

precipitation in the region and precipitation in the region and on the amount of water on the amount of water

pumped out of the ground.pumped out of the ground.

LandformsLandforms

Landforms are naturally Landforms are naturally formed features on the formed features on the

surface of the earth.surface of the earth.

The sea floor has landforms The sea floor has landforms similar to those above similar to those above

water. water.

The earth’s surface from The earth’s surface from the edge of a continent to the edge of a continent to the deep part of the ocean the deep part of the ocean is called the continental is called the continental

shelf. shelf.

The floor of the ocean has The floor of the ocean has ridges, valleys, canyons, ridges, valleys, canyons,

and plains. and plains.

Ridges mark places where Ridges mark places where new crust is being formed new crust is being formed

on the edges of the tectonic on the edges of the tectonic plates.plates.

Mountain chains similar to Mountain chains similar to those on the continents those on the continents

themselves cover parts of themselves cover parts of the ocean floor. the ocean floor.

The longest continuous range is The longest continuous range is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which extends for thousands of miles extends for thousands of miles

north to south through the north to south through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Islands dot the ocean surface. Islands dot the ocean surface. Islands can be formed by Islands can be formed by

volcanic action, deposits of volcanic action, deposits of sand, or deposits of coral sand, or deposits of coral

skeletons.skeletons.

The major geographic The major geographic features that separates one features that separates one

type of landform from type of landform from another is another is reliefrelief. .

Relief is the difference in Relief is the difference in elevation of a landform elevation of a landform

from its lowest point to its from its lowest point to its highest point. highest point.

There are four categories of There are four categories of relief: mountains, hills, relief: mountains, hills,

plains, and plateaus.plains, and plateaus.

A mountain has great relief A mountain has great relief compared to a plain, which compared to a plain, which

displays very little difference displays very little difference between its high and low between its high and low

points.points.

Topography is the combination Topography is the combination of the surface shape and of the surface shape and

composition of the landforms composition of the landforms and their distribution in a and their distribution in a

region.region.

A topographic map shows the A topographic map shows the landforms with their vertical landforms with their vertical

dimensions and their dimensions and their relationship to other relationship to other

landforms.landforms.