Earth’s Water

The Hydrospere

Goal 2.3

Lesson 1

The Hydrosphere and the

Water Cycle

Think About It…

Why is it that the water in your

bottle could have been drunk

by George Washington?

Focus Questions…

What are the processes

involved in the water cycle?

What is the connection between

ground and surface water?

The Hydrosphere: An

Overview… 1. The hydrosphere is…

• the water on and in Earth’s

crust

a. The percentage of water

found in the oceans…

• 97

• We don’t call ourselves the

Blue Planet for nothing!

The percentage of water

contained by the

landmasses…

• 3

http://www.earthview.pair.com/earth300color.jpg

Of the Freshwater on Earth…

b. 90% is in the form

of…

• polar ice caps and

glaciers

Most of the

remaining water is…

• groundwater

Only a small fraction

is in…

• rivers, streams, and

lakes http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/family-trips/glacier-bay-alaska/

Alaska’s Glacier Bay

The World’s Water Supply…

• Oceans – 97.2% - thousands of years

• Ice caps and glaciers – 2.15% - tens of

thousands of years

• Groundwater - .31% - hundreds to

thousands of years

• Lakes - .009% - tens of years

• Atmosphere - .001% - nine days!

• Rivers and streams - .0001% - two weeks

How long will our supply last?

The Water Cycle…

The Water Cycle…

http://www.euwfd.com/html/hydrological_cycle.html

The Water

Cycle…

1. Evaporation

a) transpiration

2. Condensation

3. Precipitation

4. Infiltration (percolation)

5. The Ocean

Runoff…

1. Runoff is…

• water flowing down slope along Earth’s

surface

http://myecoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/stormwater.jpg

2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…

a. Little to No

Vegetation…

• Topsoil is

easily eroded

and water

runs off easier

2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…

b. Heavy rain…

Water falls

too quickly to

soak into the

ground

http://luirig.altervista.org/cpm/albums/nrcs3/normal_1389-Runoff-from-a-heavy-rain-carries-topsoil-from-a-cr.jpg

2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…

c. Soil with a lot of like clay…

Clay prevents water from soaking in b/c of

its low porosity.

2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…

d. Steep Slope…

• the water

flows off

easily.

http://secretagentworms.org/images/runoff2nrcs.jpg

2. Five Factors that Increase Runoff…

e. High ground-

water levels…

• There is no

room for the

water to

infiltrate the

ground. http://secretagentworms.org/images/runoff2nrcs.jpg

Watersheds and Stream

Systems… 1. A stream is runoff water that begins to

flow more permanently in a channel.

a. A large stream is called a river.

b. The smaller streams that feed into it are

called tributaries

The Rivers of North Carolina…

Watersheds and Divides…

2. A watershed

is all of the

land area

whose water

drains into a

stream

system.

http://dutchesswam.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/watershed-image-small.png

North Carolina Watersheds…

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/maps/nc/Watersheds-NC-map.jpg

Watersheds and Divides…

3. A divide is a high land area that

separates one watershed from another.

• The Eastern Continental Divide is located in

the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Divides of North America…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Continental_Divide

Watersheds and Divides…

4. The watershed of the Mississippi River

is the largest watershed in North

America!

http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/lmrsbc/index.html

Lesson 2

Surface Water: Rivers

Think About It…

Why are rivers important?

Have you ever been swimming,

boating, rafting, tubing, or

fishing in a river?

Focus Questions…

What is the structure and

function of a river?

What causes a river to flood?

How do rivers cause erosion

and deposition?

Erosional Stream Load…

1. All the materials that the water in a stream

carries is known as the stream’s load.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Stream_Load.gif

Erosional Stream Load… Three ways in which a stream carries its load...

a. Material is carried in solution after it becomes

dissolved in a stream’s water.

b. All particles small enough to be held up by the

turbulence of a stream’s moving water are carried

in suspension.

c. Sediments that are too large or heavy to be held

up by turbulent water are transported as a

stream’s bed load.

Erosional Stream Load…

Erosional Stream Load…

2. Carrying capacity is the ability of a stream to…

• transport material

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/images/hydrograph_photos/muri2/muri2_2.jpg

Floods…

1. When do floods

occur?

• when water spills

over the sides of a

stream’s banks

onto adjacent land

(Soccer fields were built

on the flood plain of

the Yadkin River in

Davie County.

Why?) http://www.nowpublic.com/world/floodplain

Floods…

2. How are floods

related to

groundwater levels?

… It is more likely to flood

when groundwater

levels are high

because…

… the aquifer is already

full and can only hold

so much water.

… the dotted line on the

diagram represents

the groundwater level.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896970800380X

Floods…

3. Which agency

monitors potential

flood conditions?

• The National

Weather Service

monitors changing

weather conditions.

• USGS has

established gauging

station on more than

4400 streams in the

USA!

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3113/images/Cropped_bridge.jpg

Stream Systems: Beginning…

1. The beginning of a stream is called the headwaters.

a. Found in mountains

b. Cold, oxygenated, clear

c. V-shaped channels i. have steep sides.

ii. The Grand Canyon is a V- shaped valley.

The Grand Canyon

http://media-3.web.britannica.com/eb-media/78/3078-004-9B8860F2.jpg

Stream Systems: Middle…

2. What is a floodplain? … a broad, flat, fertile area extending out from a

stream’s banks that is covered with water during floods.

… It is not wise to build on a floodplain because it is prone to flooding!

Stream Systems: Middle…

a. A bend or curve in a stream channel is a -

• meander

The Yadkin River

http://www.wfae.org/wfae/images/Yadkin.jpg

The Cape Fear River

http://www.wilmingtonbeachrentals.com/2010/02/cape-fear-river-facts-pictures.html

Stream Systems: Middle…

b. Water in a

stream flows

fastest…

I. Along the

center

II. Outside of a

meander

Meandering Streams – A

Diagram

Oxbow Lakes…

c. An oxbow lake is…

a blocked-off meander

We have our very own

oxbow lake in the

Carolinas – in the

Congaree National

Park just outside of

Columbia, SC. http://www.daviddarling.info/images/oxbow_lake.jpg

Oxbow Lakes…

Oxbow Lakes in Alaska

http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/oxbow-lake-aerial-3405-pictures.htm

Oxbow Lake in the Amazon

http://muller.lbl.gov/travel_photos/AmazonWebPages/AmazonWebPages-Pages/Image1.html

Formation of Stream Valleys…

http://www.indiana.edu/~geol116/week9/rivprof.jpg

Next 3 slides

Stream Systems: The End!…

3. The end of a stream is

called the mouth … and is usually located at

the ocean or another large body of water

http://carolinagreensense.com/uploaded_images/NIWB-731140.jpeg

(Yadkin)-

PeeDee River A Bigger View!

A Stream’s End: Deposition of

Sediment…

a. Streams lose

their ability to

carry sediment

…b/c they lose

velocity

b. An alluvial fan is

a fan-shaped

deposit

commonly found

in mountains. Alluvial Fan in the Sonora Desert

http://practicalbio.blogspot.com/2011/09/sonoran-desert-soil-distributions.html

A Stream’s End: Deposition of

Sediment…

c. A delta is a

triangular deposit

that forms where a

stream enters a

large body of water.

The city of New

Orleans is on the

Mississippi River

Delta. The Mississippi River Delta –

picture taken by Landsat 7

http://earthasart.gsfc.nasa.gov/mississippi.html

Lesson 3

Lakes

Think About It…

What is the biggest lake you

have ever seen in person?

Focus Question…

How do dams create reservoirs

and how is the water in a

reservoir used by people?

What can cause eutrophication

or pollution in a lake?

Lakes… 1. What is a lake?

o a depression in land that holds water

a. What determines where a lake can form? o the surface materials

c. Why are lakes important? o Recreation, drinking

water, habitats

d. What is a reservoir? o a manmade lake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Rock_Lake

High Rock Lake

http://www.city-data.com/picfilesv/picv23839.php

Types of Lakes…

Oxbow Lake… a meander gets cut off

Weston Lake (Oxbow) in

Congaree National Park

The Great Salt Lake in Utah - the remains

of a sea

http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/salt_lake_desert/salt_l.html

Moraine-dammed Lake - glacial melt is

dammed by a moraine

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1216/i/i.html

Moraine-dammed Lake in Alaska

Kettle Lakes - Glacial melt in a

depression created by the glacier

http://www.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/kettle_lakes.html

Kettle Lakes in Michigan

Lakes Undergo Change…

1. What maintains a

lake’s water supply?

o rain, runoff, and

groundwater

2. A lake will exist for a

long time if…

o it gets more water

than it loses

After a long time a lake

will dry up and fill up!

The Aral Sea: Uzbekistan

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=1396

Lakes Undergo Change…

3. Eutrophication is…

o excess nutrients

cause the overgrowth

of algae which use

up oxygen in the lake

The process of

eutrophication can be

sped up by…

o over-fertilizing land

near a waterway Fish kill in the Salton Sea, CA

Eutrophication in Australia

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Eutrophication

Eutrophication Explained …

http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01590/pollution/culturaleutroph.jpg

Lakes Undergo Change…

4. Four things that

can pollute lakes

are…

o animal wastes

o phosphate

detergents

o industrial toxins

o untreated

sewage

Lesson 4

Freshwater Wetlands

Think About It…

What would happen if all of our

coastal wetlands were filled in

for homes and hotels?

Focus Question…

Why are wetlands important?

What factors affect and degrade

wetlands and estuaries?

Freshwater Wetlands…

A wetland is…

o land that is

soaked with

water

Three examples of

wetlands are…

a. bogs

b. marshes

c. swamps Boardwalk at Bethabara Park

Our very own wetlands!

http://www.tommangan.net/twoheeldrive/index.php/2009/11/29/easy-hike-at-historic-bethabara-park/

Bogs…

1. A bog is a water-soaked

area with poor drainage.

Water in a bog comes

from…

o Precipitation (rain)

2. The soil in a bog is acidic

because…

o of the decaying

moss – This slows

bacterial growth

which prevents

nitrogen recycling.

http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/bog.cfm

A bog in Alabama

http://here4now.typepad.com/here4now/2011/05/weeks-bay-reserve.html

Bogs… 3. Interesting plants that

live in a bog are the…

o Venus fly trap

o Sun dew

o Pitcher plants

These plants are carnivorous b/c of the nutrient-poor soil of the bog. They must digest insects to obtain nitrogen.

http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/plants/carnivorousplants.htm

Marshes…

1. A marsh is a water-

soaked area at the

mouth of streams.

Fresh water marshes and

estuaries often form…

o At the mouth of a

river

2. Marsh grasses have

shallow roots that …

o anchor silt and mud

deposits in a delta.

(Builds land!)

Brackish marsh near Wanchese, NC

http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/vistas/outerbanks.htm

Marshes…

3. Plants found in a

marsh include…

o Grasses

o Reeds

o Sedges

o Rushes

These plants

provide shelter and

food for aquatic

larva.

Marsh with reeds and rushes -

natural reserve near Ravenna,

Italy

Swamps…

1. A swamp is…

o a low-lying area

near a stream

Swamps may

develop from

marshes that have

filled in to support

the growth of

shrubs and trees.

Congaree National Park, SC

http://vogeltalksrving.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Mosquito-meter.jpg

Water Lily in Bok Tower Gardens,

Orlando, FL …

http://attractionsmagazine.com/blog/2012/09/14/water-lilies-seem-to-big-to-be-true-at-bok-tower-gardens/

Swamps…

2. Trees that grow in a

swamp include…

o mangrove trees

o cypress trees Mangroves in Biscayne

National Park, FL

Bald Cypress Trees in

Florida

Swamps…

If a swamp were to be buried under tons of

sediment…coal might form!

http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/visual/visual.php?shortname=coal_formation

Environmental Issues: A Loss of

Habitat… 1. Two valuable functions of wetlands …

o the filtering of water

o providing a habitat for migrating birds and fish fry (fish babies!)

2. What % of our wetlands were lost from the late 1700s to mid-1980s?

o 50 %

o Why? http://www.pwconserve.org/wildlife/birds/snowgoose.htm

Snow Geese in Prince William Sound

Environmental Issues:

Upstream Drought…

3. A drought upstream …

o … will lead to less fresh water entering the estuary and…

o … saltier water

http://www.pwconserve.org/wildlife/birds/snowgoose.htm

Snow Geese in Prince William Sound

Environmental Issues: Saltwater

Intrustion…

4. Overused wells in coastal areas …

o … may draw up salt water from the ocean and …

o … cause the water to become undrinkable.

http://www.pwconserve.org/wildlife/birds/snowgoose.htm

Snow Geese in Prince William Sound

Three Ways to Preserve

Wetlands… • Education

• Conservation

• Regulation

Lesson 5

The Movement and Storage of

Groundwater

Think About It…

Does your family drink well

water?

Focus Question…

How does groundwater move

through the lithosphere?

How are flood events affected

by groundwater levels?

Precipitation and

Groundwater…

Remember the water cycle?

1. Most water in the atmosphere

comes from oceans!

2. Most precipitation that falls on land

becomes groundwater.

Eventually groundwater will…

… return to the ocean to complete the

water cycle.

Groundwater Storage… 1. Porosity is… …the percentage of pore space

in a material

2. The types of soil that have -

• highest porosity - well- sorted

• lowest porosity – poorly- sorted

1. Groundwater is stored…

• in the pore spaces of rocks and sediments (See picture )

• …and can be compared to a hard sponge

http://core.ecu.edu/geology/woods/GWANSW2008_files/image002.jpg

Groundwater Storage… 3. The zone of saturation is…

• the depth below Earth’s surface at which groundwater completely fills all the pores

4. The water table is …

…the upper boundary of the zone of saturation

e. Figure 10-2: Groundwater Storage (p. 421)

soil

Zone of

aeration

Zone of

saturation

Water table

Groundwater Storage…

5. The depth of the water

table varies…

…in swampy areas-

water table is

almost at surface,

…in arid regions -

water table is far

beneath surface Green Swamp, FL

Groundwater Storage…

6. If the water table is

high, it is more likely to flood.

low, it is less likely to flood.

7. The water table fluctuates with the seasons and weather conditions because…

• it depends on rain to recharge it

http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/images/chwattab.gif

Groundwater Movement:

Permeability…

1. What is permeability?

• the ability of a material to let water pass

through it

a. What subsurface materials are permeable?

• sand, sandstone, and gravel

b. What subsurface materials are

impermeable?

• clay, silt, and shale

c. Why is clay used to line ponds & landfills?

• It is impermeable (our storm drainage pond)

Groundwater Movement:

Aquifers… 1. An aquifer

… underground

storage area for

water made of

permeable rock

layers.

2. An aquiclude

… impermeable

layer above or

below an aquifer.

Groundwater Movement…

6. aquifer

7.

8. aquiclude

Groundwater: A Music Video…

• The Story of Groundwater!

• http://www.groundwater.org/kc/groundwat

er_animation.html

Lesson 6

Groundwater Erosion

Think About It…

Why do some homes in Florida get

swallowed up by the ground?

Focus Question…

What are the unique features of

caves?

What features are found in an

area with Karst topography?

Caves…

1. What is a cave?

• A natural underground opening with a

connection to Earth’s surface

2. Which acid forms caves?

• Carbonic acid (H2O + CO2 in the soil)

3. Which rock is eroded by this acid to form

a cave?

• limestone

Caves of the USA…

http://giantcrystals.strahlen.org/america/lechuguilla.htm

Lechuguilla Cave, N. Mexico Carlsbad Caverns, N. Mexico

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Witchs_Finger_Carlsbad_Caverns.jpg

Mammoth Cave,

Kentucky

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2011/07/dark-depths-mammoth-cave/

Mammoth Cave: A Closer

Look…

http://images.travelpod.com/users/socks/1.1248576883.mammoth-cave-river-styx-tour-route.jpg

Cave Formations…

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/orca/underworld/sec1b.htm

Karst Topography: Sinkholes…

1. What is a

sinkhole?

• A depression

in the ground

caused by the

collapse of a

cave

• http://southea

stsinkhole.co

m/

Karst Topography

2. Karst topography are limestone regions that

have sinkholes, sinks, and sinking streams –

named for an area in Croatia.

A aerial photograph of a classic Karst terrain north of Lewisburg, WV

http://www.virginiacaves.org/lok/ccvup56.htm

Karst Topography…

Karst Topography

http://www.mospeleo.org/ozark_caving/springs/sprkarst.htm

•Missouri

Hard Water…

4. Hard water is water that contains high

concentrations of calcium, magnesiun, or

iron.

• Common in limestone areas

• Causes deposits of calcium bicarbonate and

can clog water pipes. (p. 247)

• More soap must be used

Lesson 7

Groundwater Systems, Use, and

Threats!

Think About It…

Where does the water in a spring

come from?

Focus Question…

What are the unique features of

springs?

How can the use of wells lead to

aquifer depletion, subsistence,

and saltwater intrusion?

What are threats to our

groundwater?

Springs…

1. Ground water discharges at…

• Earth’s surface

• These natural discharges of water

are called…springs

2. Water may flow out of a rock

when…

• an aquifer and an aquiclude come

in contact

Ponce De Leon Springs

http://www.eyekonic.net/gallery2/d/1232-2/Ponce_20De_20Leon_20Springs_202.jpg

Location of

Springs:

B. Perched Water

Table

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/8m.html

A. Near Horizontal

Sedimentary Layers

C. Fault-blocked

D. Limestone Regions

Hot Springs…

3. The temperature of ground water is…

• the same as the average annual

temperature

4. Hot springs are…

• springs which have temperatures

higher than the human body

• Hot springs are so hot because… the

subsurface is still hot from recent

igneous activity

• Picture on next slide

Hot Springs at Yellowstone N.P.

http://www.guideoftravels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Yellowstone-National-Park.jpg

Springs and Geysers…

5. Most hot springs in

our country are

found in the…

• western states

6. A geyser is an …

• explosive spring

that erupts at

regular intervals

Old Faithful Geyser

Yellowstone NP

http://www.gogobot.com/old_faithful_geyser_and_upper-yellowstone_national_park-attraction

Wells…

1. A well is…

• a hole dug to reach a reservoir of

groundwater

2. A cone of depression is produced by…

• the over pumping of wells

3. Drawdown is…

• the difference between the original water

table level and that of a pumped well

4. Recharge is…

• when water from rain or runoff is added to

an aquifer

Wells…

5. An artesian well flows from a deep, confined aquifer

which contains water under pressure.

Wells: Figure 10-15, p. 252

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gw_ruralhomeowner/gw_ruralhomeowner_new.html

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwlandsubside.html

Wells…

6. The entire water

table can be lowered

due to…

6. The overuse of

wells

7. Ground above an

overused well can…

…sink!

This is called

subsidence

Threats to Our Water Supply… 1. Overuse

2. Subsidence (sinking land over an aquifer)

3. Pollution in groundwater (sewage,

industrial waste, landfills, agriculture)

4. Chemicals (not filtered out by sediments;

hard to remove from groundwater)

5. Salt (one of the major threats to

groundwater supplies; esp. coastal areas)

6. Radon (generated by radioactive decay of

uranium in rocks – esp. granite and shale)

Protection of Groundwater…

1. Identify and eliminate pollution sources.

2. Monitor pollution.

3. Pump groundwater to surface and treat

it.

Lesson 8

Use, Abuse, and Conservation of

Water Resources

Water Use:

The Importance of Water

1. Four important uses of freshwater…

Agriculture, transportation, recreation, drinking!

2. Water is indispensable for life on Earth

because…

1. It exists as a liquid

2. It stores a lot of heat

3. It is the universal solvent

4. Solid water expands

The Importance of Water…

3. Eastern states get the most precipitation.

1. Eastern states - cooling, energy production, and manufacturing.

2. Western states - irrigation.

4. Withdrawal rates of freshwater are increasing each year because…

…our population is growing!

Western states use more water for

growing their crops…

Use of Water in the USA…

http://fracfocus.org/sites/default/files/water-use-pie-chart.jpg

Managing Freshwater

Resources

1. Dams are built to…

…control flooding

downstream and to

manage freshwater

resources

2. In the USA, 23% of all

freshwater is obtained

from…

… aquifers (groundwater)

… Florida, Hawaii, and

Nebraska depend almost

entirely on groundwater.

Managing Freshwater

Resources 3. Drawdown causes…

a. wells to go dry

b. streams to run low or go dry

c. shallow aquifers on the coast to get salty

(This is called salt water intrusion)

4. Desalination is removing salt from

seawater to make freshwater. It is not

practical due to high costs.

See next slide…

Saltwater

Intrusion…

http://www.wrd.org/engineering/images/seawater-intrusion.gif

Desalination…

http://www.tampabaywater.org/tampa-bay-seawater-desalination-plant.aspx

Water Pollution: Types of Pollution…

… 1. Point sources …

…have a single point

of origin (often a

piped discharge)

…Three examples

include (but aren’t

limited to)…

a. sewage

b. spills

c. industry

Drainage into the Ohio River

http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Po-Re/Pollution-Sources-Point-and-Nonpoint.html

http://www.lakescientist.com/learn-about-lakes/water-quality/pollution.html

Water Pollution: Types of

Pollution… 2. Nonpoint sources …

… come from widely spread areas and cannot be identified

and cleaned up as easily.

… Two examples include (but aren’t limited to)…

a. pesticides and fertilizers from farms and yards

b. oil and gasoline from parking lots

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/pollution/media/pol04a_460.jpg

3. Clean up!

• Surface water is more easily polluted than

groundwater but easier to clean up.

http://www2.epa.gov/cleanups

Reducing Water Pollution…

1. The Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) was

designed to …

… ensure our citizens have safe drinking water

… Our water does not always meet these

standards.

2. The Clean Water Act (1972) was created

to…

a. eliminate sources of water pollution

b. restore water quality (which it has done!)

Water Conservation

1. Community Water Conservation…

a. Farmers can use irrigation techniques like trickle irrigation to save water. http://www.tricklering.com/

b. Industries can use recycled or gray water to save water.

2.Personal Conservation: How can you and I conserve water in our homes and yards?

Lesson 7 Video Clip…

• The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water

• http://www.rivernetwork.org/blog/7/2010/04/12/new-surfrider-video-

shows-%E2%80%98-real-story-water%E2%80%99

Yadkin Riverkeeper Website…

• The Yadkin Riverkeeper organization is a

member of the international Waterkeeper

organization. This alliance includes

baykeepers, deltakeepers, riverkeepers,

lakekeepers, etc.

• http://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/content/v

ideo-messages