The hydrosphere is a discontinuous water shell of the globe, which occupies more than 70% of its surface. Its main element is water, which is presented in three states of aggregation: gaseous, solid and liquid. We learn what is part of the hydrosphere and what is its purpose.

Components of the hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is an open water system that occupies 3⁄4 of the planet's surface. This scale is amazing: in total, the volume of the hydrosphere is 1.5 billion cubic meters. km of water.

The hydrosphere includes the following large and small objects:

• oceans;
• seas;
• all water bodies on land (reservoirs, swamps, lakes, rivers);
• The groundwater;
• snow cover and glaciers.

The most important part of the hydrosphere is the World Ocean, which occupies 96% of all water resources of the planet. Its main distinguishing feature is stability over time and constancy.

Rice. 1. Waters of the oceans

Scientists are still struggling with an amazing mystery of nature - in any part of the World Ocean, at any depth and at any time of the year, the salt composition of ocean water is constant and unchanged.

Due to the high heat capacity of water, it became possible to accumulate a large amount of heat. As a result, the most comfortable conditions for the growth and development of living organisms have been created in the waters of the World Ocean.

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It is here that more representatives of the plant and animal world live than on land.

Rice. 2. The underwater world of the ocean

In addition to sustainability, the distinctive features of the oceans include:

• continuity;
• intensive water circulation;
• the presence of ebbs and flows;
• full population of representatives of flora and fauna, and the absence of lifeless zones.

Fresh water on the planet is much less salty - only 0.5% of the total volume of the hydrosphere. It is concentrated in rivers and reservoirs, and is the most important natural resource. Its importance is also great in maintaining the balance of the ecosphere on the globe. Despite the small amount, there is enough fresh water distributed around the planet to satisfy all the needs of people.

Rice. 3. Rivers and lakes are the main source of fresh water

The main functions of the hydrosphere

The importance of the hydrosphere for the Earth is difficult to overestimate. Consider the main, most important functions of the hydrosphere:

• Accumulating . The waters of the World Ocean accumulate a large amount of heat, thereby ensuring a stable temperature on the planet.
• Oxygen production . Phytoplankton living in ocean waters produce the main volume of oxygen in the atmosphere, which is necessary for the full life of living beings.
• The oceans are a huge resource base , capable of providing mankind not only with water, but also with food and mineral resources.

The most important process in which all objects of the hydrosphere take part is the global water cycle in nature. Under the influence of solar heat, water evaporates from the surface of the land and the oceans. In the form of vapor, it penetrates into the atmosphere, where, under the influence of air masses, it is transported over long distances. Then atmospheric moisture falls to the ground in the form of precipitation, which later evaporate again. Further, this pattern is repeated in a circle.

The globe is covered by a geographical envelope, which includes the lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. Without the complex of geospheres and their close interaction, there would be no life on the planet. Let us consider in more detail what the Earth's hydrosphere is, and what is the importance of the water shell in all vital processes.

The structure of the hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is a continuous water shell of the planet, which is located between the solid earth shell and the atmosphere. It includes absolutely all water, which, depending on environmental conditions, can be in three states: solid, gaseous and liquid.

The hydrosphere is one of the most ancient shells of the planet, which existed in almost all geological epochs. Its occurrence became possible due to the most complex geophysical processes, the result of which was the formation of the atmosphere and hydrosphere, between which there has always been the closest connection.

The hydrosphere, one way or another, permeates all the geospheres of the globe. Groundwater percolates to the very bottom of the earth's crust. The main mass of water vapor is distributed in the lower part of the atmosphere - the troposphere.

The hydrosphere accounts for about 1390 million square meters. km. It is usually divided into three main parts:

• World Ocean - the main part of the hydrosphere, which includes all the oceans: Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic. The totality of the oceans is not an integral water shell: it is divided and limited by continents and islands. Salty oceanic waters make up 96% of the total volume of the hydrosphere.

The main characteristic of the World Ocean is the general and unchanging salt composition. Fresh water also enters the ocean waters along with river runoff and atmospheric precipitation, but its amount is so small that it does not affect the salt concentration in any way.

Rice. 1. Waters of the oceans

• Continental surface waters - these are all water basins located on the surface of the globe: swamps, reservoirs, seas, lakes, rivers. Surface water can be both salty and fresh, artificial and natural.

The seas of the hydrosphere are marginal and inland, which, in turn, are divided into intracontinental, intercontinental and interisland.

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• The groundwater are all waters located underground. Sometimes the concentration of salts in them can reach a very high level, they may contain gases and various elements.

The classification of groundwater is based on the depth of their occurrence. They are mineral, artesian, soil, interstratal and soil.

Of great importance in metabolic processes is fresh water, which in total makes up only 4% of the total water reserves on the planet. The main part of fresh water is contained in snow covers and glaciers.

Rice. 2. Glaciers are the main sources of fresh water

General properties of all parts of the hydrosphere

Despite the difference in composition, states and locations, all parts of the hydrosphere are interconnected and represent a single whole. All its parts take an active part in the global water cycle.

The water cycle - a continuous process of moving water masses under the influence of solar energy. This is the connecting link of the entire earthly shell, a necessary condition for the existence of life on the planet.

In addition, water performs a number of important functions:

• The accumulation of a large amount of heat, thanks to which the planet maintains a stable average temperature.
• Oxygen production. A large number of microorganisms live in the water shell, producing a valuable gas necessary for the existence of all life on Earth.
• resource base. The waters of the World Ocean and surface waters are of great value as resources for human life. Catching commercial fish, mining, the use of water for industrial purposes - and this is only an incomplete list of human use of water.

The influence of the hydrosphere on human activity can also be negative. Natural phenomena in the form of high waters and floods pose a great threat, and can overtake almost any region of the planet.

Hydrosphere and man

With the development of scientific and technological progress, the anthropogenic impact on the hydrosphere began to gain momentum. Human activity has caused the emergence of geoecological problems, as a result of which the water shell of the Earth began to experience the following negative effects:

• pollution of water by chemical and physical pollutants that significantly worsen the quality of water and the living conditions of living animals and plants;
• a sharp decrease or depletion of the water resource, in which its further restoration is impossible;
• the loss of a water body of its natural qualities.

Rice. 3. The main problem of the hydrosphere is pollution

To solve this problem in production, it is necessary to apply the latest protection technologies, thanks to which water basins will not suffer from all kinds of pollution.

What have we learned?

When studying the most important topic in grade 5 geography, we learned what the hydrosphere is and what the water shell consists of. We also found out what is the classification of hydrosphere objects, what are their differences and similarities, how the hydrosphere affects the life of our planet.

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I can't imagine summer without a rest on the seashore, or at least an ordinary trip to the lake. The greatness of Russian rivers simply amazes me, and the beauty of some lakes, for example, Baikal, is something incredible. Such a variety of water bodies is part of the hydrosphere - the water shell of our planet. Without water, there would be no life on Earth, so it must be protected.

What are the parts of the hydrosphere?

Water is found everywhere on our planet and in different states. Most of it is in liquid form. This may include:

• oceans;
• seas;
• lakes and reservoirs;
• rivers;
• The groundwater.

Here you need to understand that salt water is approximately 95% and only 5% is fresh water (the one that most living organisms consume).

There are huge reserves of groundwater on the planet. Scientists estimate them at about 5% of the entire hydrosphere of the planet, but there is a theory about a huge underground ocean deep in the bowels. True, I find it hard to believe.

Ice is also part of the hydrosphere. There are a huge number of glaciers on the planet, which are concentrated at the poles of our planet. But if you look at the absolute amount, then in the hydrosphere they make up only 2%. When I heard this, I was very surprised.

Water vapor is also part of the hydrosphere, but very, very small. Although it does rain.

The water cycle in nature

On the planet, water is in motion. It passes from one state to another, but its quantity remains constant.

The cycle takes place in the following way. Water evaporates from various bodies of water and rises to form clouds. Thanks to the wind, they are transported to another place. Water droplets form in the clouds and then fall to the surface of the planet.

Without this process, vegetation simply would not receive the moisture it needs.

How did water appear on the planet?

There is one common theory. Previously, there was almost no atmosphere on the planet, and our Earth was bombarded by various asteroids and meteorites. Many of them were made of ice. Thus, this important substance for life was introduced.

Including the total mass of water found on, under and above the surface of the planet. Water in the hydrosphere can be in three states of aggregation: liquid (water), solid (ice) and gaseous (water vapor). The Earth's hydrosphere, unique in the solar system, plays one of the primary roles in sustaining life on our planet.

Total volume of hydrosphere waters

The earth has an area of ​​about 510,066,000 km²; almost 71% of the planet's surface is covered with salt water with a volume of about 1.4 billion km³ and an average temperature of about 4° C, not much above the freezing point of water. It contains almost 94% of the volume of all water on Earth. The remainder occurs as fresh water, three-quarters of which is locked up as ice in the polar regions. Most of the remaining fresh water is groundwater contained in soils and rocks; and less than 1% is found in the world's lakes and rivers. As a percentage, atmospheric water vapor is negligible, but the transfer of water evaporated from the oceans to the land surface is an integral part of the hydrological cycle that renews and sustains life on the planet.

Hydrosphere objects

Scheme of the main components of the hydrosphere of the planet Earth

The objects of the hydrosphere are all liquid and frozen surface water, groundwater in soil and rocks, as well as water vapor. The entire hydrosphere of the Earth, as shown in the diagram above, can be divided into the following large objects or parts:

• World Ocean: contains 1.37 billion km³ or 93.96% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• The groundwater: contain 64 million km³ or 4.38% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Glaciers: contain 24 million km³ or 1.65% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Lakes and reservoirs: contain 280 thousand km³ or 0.02% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Soils: contain 85 thousand km³ or 0.01% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Atmospheric steam: contains 14 thousand km³ or 0.001% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Rivers: contain a little more than 1 thousand km³ or 0.0001% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• TOTAL VOLUME OF THE EARTH'S HYDROSPHERE: about 1.458 billion km³.

The water cycle in nature

Scheme of the cycle of nature

Involves the movement of water from the oceans through the atmosphere to the continents and then back to the oceans above, on and below the land surface. The cycle includes processes such as sedimentation, evaporation, transpiration, infiltration, percolation and runoff. These processes operate throughout the hydrosphere, which extends about 15 km into the atmosphere and up to about 5 km deep into the earth's crust.

About a third of the solar energy that reaches the Earth's surface is used to evaporate ocean water. The resulting atmospheric moisture condenses into clouds, rain, snow and dew. Humidity is a decisive factor in determining the weather. It is the driving force behind storms and is responsible for the separation of electrical charge, which is what causes lightning, and therefore the natural ones that affect some. Precipitation moistens the soil, replenishes underground aquifers, destroys the landscape, nourishes living organisms, and fills rivers that carry dissolved chemicals and sediment back to the oceans.

Importance of the hydrosphere

Water plays an important role in the carbon cycle. Under the influence of water and dissolved carbon dioxide, calcium is weathered from continental rocks and transported to the oceans, where calcium carbonate is formed (including the shells of marine organisms). Eventually the carbonates are deposited on the seabed and lithified to form limestones. Some of these carbonate rocks later sink into the interior of the Earth due to the global process of plate tectonics and melt, which leads to the release of carbon dioxide (for example, from volcanoes) into the atmosphere. The hydrological cycle, the circulation of carbon and oxygen through the geological and biological systems of the Earth, is the basis for maintaining the life of the planet, the formation of erosion and weathering of the continents, and they contrast sharply with the absence of such processes, for example, on Venus.

Problems of the hydrosphere

The process of melting glaciers

There are many problems that are directly related to the hydrosphere, but the most global are the following:

sea ​​level rise

Sea level rise is an emerging issue that could affect many people and ecosystems around the world. Tide level measurements show a worldwide increase in sea level of 15-20 cm, and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has suggested that the increase is due to the expansion of ocean water due to rising ambient temperatures, melting mountain glaciers, and ice caps. Most of the Earth's glaciers are melting due to, and many scientific studies have shown that the rate of this process is increasing and also has a significant impact on global sea levels.

Reduction of Arctic sea ice

Over the past few decades, Arctic sea ice has shrunk significantly. Recent NASA studies show that it is declining at a rate of 9.6% per decade. This thinning and removal of ice affects the balance of heat and animals. For example, populations are declining due to a break in the ice that separates them from land, and many individuals drown in attempts to swim across. This loss of sea ice also affects the albedo, or reflectivity of the Earth's surface, causing the dark oceans to absorb more heat.

Precipitation change

An increase in precipitation can lead to floods and landslides, while a decrease can lead to droughts and fires. El Niño events, monsoons and hurricanes also affect short-term global climate change. For example, a change in ocean currents off the coast of Peru associated with an El Niño event could lead to changes in weather conditions throughout North America. Changes in monsoon patterns due to rising temperatures can cause droughts in areas around the world that depend on seasonal winds. Hurricanes that intensify with rising sea surface temperatures will become more destructive to humans in the future.

Melting permafrost

It melts as the global temperature rises. This most affects the people living in this one, as the soil on which the houses are located becomes unstable. Not only is there an immediate effect, but scientists fear that thawing permafrost will release huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) into the atmosphere, greatly impacting the environment in the long term. The released will contribute to further global warming by releasing heat into the atmosphere.

Anthropogenic influence of man on the hydrosphere

Humans have had a significant impact on our planet's hydrosphere, and this will continue as the world's population and human needs increase. Global climate change, river flooding, wetland drainage, flow reduction, and irrigation have put pressure on existing freshwater hydrosphere systems. The steady state is being disturbed by the release of toxic chemicals, radioactive substances and other industrial wastes, as well as the leakage of mineral fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides into the Earth's water sources.

Acid rain, caused by the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the burning of fossil fuels, has become a worldwide problem. The acidification of freshwater lakes and the increased concentration of aluminum in their waters are believed to be responsible for significant changes in lake ecosystems. In particular, many lakes today do not have significant fish populations.

Eutrophication caused by human intervention is becoming a problem for freshwater ecosystems. As excess nutrients and organic matter from agricultural and industrial wastewater are released into water systems, they become artificially enriched. This affects coastal marine ecosystems as well as the introduction of organic matter into the oceans, which is many times greater than in pre-human times. This has caused biotic changes in some areas, such as the North Sea, where cyanobacteria thrive and diatoms thrive.

As the population increases, the need for drinking water will also increase, and in many parts of the world, due to temperature changes, fresh water is extremely difficult to obtain. As people irresponsibly divert rivers and deplete natural water supplies, this creates even more problems.

Humans have had a great impact on the hydrosphere and will continue to do so in the future. It is important to understand the impact we have on the environment and work to reduce negative impacts.

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Water types	Name	Volume, mln.km 3	Quantity in relation to the total volume of the hydrosphere,%
sea ​​waters
Ground (excluding soil) water	unpaved
Ice and snow (Arctic, Antarctica, Greenland, mountain ice regions)
Surface waters of land: lakes, reservoirs, rivers, swamps, soil waters
Atmospheric waters	atmospheric
	biological

In the hydrosphere, there is a constant and systematic interaction of its constituent parts, which determines water cycle in nature- continuous movement of water under the action of solar energy and gravity.

The oceans and its parts

The term “World Ocean” was proposed by the Russian geographer and oceanographer Shokalsky Yu.M. The area of ​​the world's oceans is 361.1 million km 2, which is 70.8% of the earth's surface.

The World Ocean is conditionally subdivided into its constituent parts - the oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic (Table 10). The main difference between the waters of the oceans and the waters of land is salinity - the number of grams of substances dissolved in 1 liter of water. Salinity is measured in ppm. The average salinity of sea water is 35‰ (35 g per 1 liter), the maximum salinity of water is observed in tropical latitudes, in temperate and equatorial latitudes its value approaches the average, in subpolar regions it is less saline -32-33‰.

Table 10

World Ocean

Oceans are divided into seas, bays, straits.

The sea is a part of the ocean, isolated by land, differing in salinity, water temperature, and currents (see Table 11). The shallowest sea is distinguished - Azov (Atlantic Ocean basin), the deepest - Philippine (Pacific Ocean basin), the most salty - Red (Indian Ocean basin), the largest in area - Philippine, the smallest - Marmara (Atlantic Ocean basin).

According to the degree of isolation, the sea is divided into:

internal (deeply flowing into the land) - Red, Caribbean, Bering;

marginal - slightly isolated from the ocean, adjacent to the mainland (Barents, Norwegian).

Bay - part of the sea (ocean) deeply flowing into the land (see table. 12).

Depending on the causes of occurrence, size, configuration, among the bays there are:

bays - small water areas with isolated coastal capes, islands, convenient for mooring ships;

estuary - funnel-shaped bays formed at the mouths of rivers under the influence of sea currents;

fjords - narrow and deep bays with rocky and high shores;

lagoons - a shallow bay, separated from the sea by sandy spits and connected to it by a strait;

estuaries - bays formed when the widened mouths of lowland rivers are flooded by the sea;

lip - a sea bay at the mouth of a river.

The waters of the oceans are in constant motion. There are sea currents (horizontal movement of water masses along permanent paths) and waves. Tidal waves cause fluctuations in the surface of the oceans, caused by the attraction of the Earth by the Moon and the Sun. The maximum value of tides of 18 m in the world is observed in the Bay of Fundy (part of the Gulf of Maine of the Atlantic Ocean), off the coast of Russia - Penzhina Bay (part of the Shelikhov Bay in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk (13 m).

A strait is a narrow body of water bounded by land on both sides. The widest strait is the Drake Passage, the longest is Mozambique. The largest straits of the world are presented in table 13.

Islands A piece of land that is surrounded on all sides by water. About 79% of the insular land is occupied by 28 large islands (Table 14). The largest island in the world in terms of area is Greenland, in Russia - the island of Sakhalin.

Archipelago- a group of islands lying at a short distance from each other and having a common base.

Table 11

Name	Area, thousand square meters km		Wed depth, m	Salinity,	Major flowing rivers	Major ports
Pacific Ocean
Beringovo		Outskirts			Yukon, Anadyr	Anadyr, Providence, Nome
East China		Outskirts				Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jilong, Nagasaki
yellow		internal			Huanghe, Haihe, Liaohe, Yalujiang	Tian Jin, Qingdao, Dalian, Luishun, Nampo, Chemulpo
coral		Outskirts				Cairns, Port Moresby, Noumea
Okhotsk		Outskirts				Magadan, Okhotsk, Korsakov, Severo-Kurilsk
Tasmanovo		Outskirts				Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle, Auckland, New Plymouth
South China		Outskirts			Mekong, Hongha (Red)	Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Manila, Singapore
Japanese		Outskirts				Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Soviet Harbour, Niigata, Tsuruga, Busan
Filipino		Outskirts
Atlantic
Azov		internal			Don, Kuban	Taganrog, Yeysk, Mariupol, Berdyansk
Baltic		internal		On the 3 west - 11, in the center - 6–8	Neva, Zap. Dvina, Neman, Vistula, Oder (Odra)	St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Tallinn, Riga, Ventspils, Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Rostock, Luebeck, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki, Kotka
caribbean		Outskirts				Maracaibo, La Guaira, Cartagena, Colon, Santo Domingo, Santiago de Cuba
Marble		internal		in the North -20, in the South -25-26
Northern		Outskirts			Elbe, Rhine, Meuse, Thames	Antwerp, London, Hamburg, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Gothenburg, Oslo, Bergen
mediterranean		internal		In the West -36, in the East - 39.5	Nile, Rhone, Ebro, Po	Barcelona, ​​Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Venice, Thessaloniki, Beirut, Alexandria, Port Said, Tripoli, Algeria
Black		internal			Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, Southern Bug	Novorossiysk, Tuapse, Odessa, Ilyichevsk, Poti, Batumi, Constanta, Burgas, Varna, Trabzon
Arabian		Outskirts				Bombay, Karachi, Aden,
Red		internal				Suez, Port Sudan, Massawa, Jeddah, Hodeidah
Arctic
Barents		Outskirts				Murmansk, Varde
White		internal			Northern Dvina, Mezen, Onega	Arkhangelsk, Onega, Belomorsk, Kem, Kandalaksha
East Siberian		Outskirts			indigirka,
Greenlandic		Outskirts				Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Akureyri
Kara		Outskirts			Ob, Yenisei, Pur, Taz	Dixon, Dudinka, Igarka
Laptev		Outskirts		in the North -34,	Lena, Khatanga, Yana
Chukchi		Outskirts			Amguema, Kobuk,

Question 1. What is the hydrosphere?

Question 2. What is the oceans?

The oceans are the main part of the hydrosphere, a continuous, but not continuous, water shell of the Earth, surrounding the continents and islands, and characterized by a common salt composition. The oceans cover almost 70% of the earth's surface.

Question 3. Can separate parts of the hydrosphere exist independently of each other?

The hydrosphere is formed by all types of natural waters, regardless of their state: liquid, solid and gaseous. All of them are interconnected by the water cycle.

Question 4. What is the hydrosphere?

The hydrosphere is the water shell of the Earth. The totality of the waters of the seas, oceans, continental reservoirs, rivers, underground sources, swamps and ice sheets of the Earth.

Question 5. List the components of the hydrosphere.

The hydrosphere is formed by all types of natural waters, regardless of their state: liquid, solid and gaseous.

Question 6. What part of the hydrosphere are the waters of the oceans?

Most of the water is concentrated in the oceans. 97% of all the waters of the planet are salty waters of the seas and oceans.

Question 7. What are the properties of the hydrosphere?

The hydrosphere unites all types of natural waters. Separate parts of the hydrosphere are connected into a single shell by the process of the water cycle.

Question 8. How does the hydrosphere affect the life of our planet?

Water is the basis of life on our planet. The role of water in the life of our planet, the individual components of nature, each living being is enormous. It is present in all organisms. The richness and diversity of nature directly depends on the availability of water.

Question 9. Give reasons in favor of the statement: "The hydrosphere forms a continuous shell of the Earth."

Separate parts of the hydrosphere are connected into a single shell by the process of the water cycle. Its main elements are the evaporation of water, the transfer of water vapor by the wind, precipitation, water runoff along river beds, and underground runoff.

Question 10. Why is water called the basis of life on Earth?

It is present in all organisms. Cell sap - cytoplasm - is an aqueous solution of various salts. All organisms on the planet are made up of cells. This means that water is the basis of life.

Question 11. Using the textbook illustrations, prove that all parts of the hydrosphere are connected by the water cycle.

Water evaporates from the surface of reservoirs. The salty waters of the World Ocean, like the fresh waters of rivers and lakes, turn into water vapor, which, concentrating, forms clouds. By the way, only water evaporates. The salts contained in sea water remain in the ocean. Therefore, water vapor and clouds are composed of fresh water. Clouds are carried by winds for hundreds and thousands of kilometers. Sooner or later, precipitation falls in the form of rain or snow. Part of the precipitation seeps into the soil and becomes part of the groundwater, while the other part flows into rivers. Melt waters formed during the melting of snow or mountain glaciers also partially seep and enter the groundwater, and partially enter the rivers. Rivers return water to lakes, seas and oceans.

The hydrosphere is a discontinuous water shell of the globe, which occupies more than 70% of its surface. Its main element is water, which is presented in three states of aggregation: gaseous, solid and liquid. We learn what is part of the hydrosphere and what is its purpose.

Components of the hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is an open water system that occupies 3⁄4 of the planet's surface. This scale is amazing: in total, the volume of the hydrosphere is 1.5 billion cubic meters. km of water.

The hydrosphere includes the following large and small objects:

• oceans;
• seas;
• all water bodies on land (reservoirs, swamps, lakes, rivers);
• The groundwater;
• snow cover and glaciers.

The most important part of the hydrosphere is the World Ocean, which occupies 96% of all water resources of the planet. Its main distinguishing feature is stability over time and constancy.

Rice. 1. Waters of the oceans

Scientists are still struggling with an amazing mystery of nature - in any part of the World Ocean, at any depth and at any time of the year, the salt composition of ocean water is constant and unchanged.

Due to the high heat capacity of water, it became possible to accumulate a large amount of heat. As a result, the most comfortable conditions for the growth and development of living organisms have been created in the waters of the World Ocean.

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It is here that more representatives of the plant and animal world live than on land.

Rice. 2. The underwater world of the ocean

In addition to sustainability, the distinctive features of the oceans include:

• continuity;
• intensive water circulation;
• the presence of ebbs and flows;
• full population of representatives of flora and fauna, and the absence of lifeless zones.

Fresh water on the planet is much less salty - only 0.5% of the total volume of the hydrosphere. It is concentrated in rivers and reservoirs, and is the most important natural resource. Its importance is also great in maintaining the balance of the ecosphere on the globe. Despite the small amount, there is enough fresh water distributed around the planet to satisfy all the needs of people.

Rice. 3. Rivers and lakes are the main source of fresh water

The main functions of the hydrosphere

The importance of the hydrosphere for the Earth is difficult to overestimate. Consider the main, most important functions of the hydrosphere:

• Accumulating . The waters of the World Ocean accumulate a large amount of heat, thereby ensuring a stable temperature on the planet.
• Oxygen production . Phytoplankton living in ocean waters produce the main volume of oxygen in the atmosphere, which is necessary for the full life of living beings.
• The oceans are a huge resource base , capable of providing mankind not only with water, but also with food and mineral resources.

The most important process in which all objects of the hydrosphere take part is the global water cycle in nature. Under the influence of solar heat, water evaporates from the surface of the land and the oceans. In the form of vapor, it penetrates into the atmosphere, where, under the influence of air masses, it is transported over long distances. Then atmospheric moisture falls to the ground in the form of precipitation, which later evaporate again. Further, this pattern is repeated in a circle.

Including the total mass of water found on, under and above the surface of the planet. Water in the hydrosphere can be in three states of aggregation: liquid (water), solid (ice) and gaseous (water vapor). The Earth's hydrosphere, unique in the solar system, plays one of the primary roles in sustaining life on our planet.

Total volume of hydrosphere waters

The earth has an area of ​​about 510,066,000 km²; almost 71% of the planet's surface is covered with salt water with a volume of about 1.4 billion km³ and an average temperature of about 4° C, not much above the freezing point of water. It contains almost 94% of the volume of all water on Earth. The remainder occurs as fresh water, three-quarters of which is locked up as ice in the polar regions. Most of the remaining fresh water is groundwater contained in soils and rocks; and less than 1% is found in the world's lakes and rivers. As a percentage, atmospheric water vapor is negligible, but the transfer of water evaporated from the oceans to the land surface is an integral part of the hydrological cycle that renews and sustains life on the planet.

Hydrosphere objects

Scheme of the main components of the hydrosphere of the planet Earth

The objects of the hydrosphere are all liquid and frozen surface water, groundwater in soil and rocks, as well as water vapor. The entire hydrosphere of the Earth, as shown in the diagram above, can be divided into the following large objects or parts:

• World Ocean: contains 1.37 billion km³ or 93.96% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• The groundwater: contain 64 million km³ or 4.38% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Glaciers: contain 24 million km³ or 1.65% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Lakes and reservoirs: contain 280 thousand km³ or 0.02% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Soils: contain 85 thousand km³ or 0.01% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Atmospheric steam: contains 14 thousand km³ or 0.001% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• Rivers: contain a little more than 1 thousand km³ or 0.0001% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere;
• TOTAL VOLUME OF THE EARTH'S HYDROSPHERE: about 1.458 billion km³.

The water cycle in nature

Scheme of the cycle of nature

Involves the movement of water from the oceans through the atmosphere to the continents and then back to the oceans above, on and below the land surface. The cycle includes processes such as sedimentation, evaporation, transpiration, infiltration, percolation and runoff. These processes operate throughout the hydrosphere, which extends about 15 km into the atmosphere and up to about 5 km deep into the earth's crust.

About a third of the solar energy that reaches the Earth's surface is used to evaporate ocean water. The resulting atmospheric moisture condenses into clouds, rain, snow and dew. Humidity is a decisive factor in determining the weather. It is the driving force behind storms and is responsible for the separation of electrical charge, which is what causes lightning, and therefore the natural ones that affect some. Precipitation moistens the soil, replenishes underground aquifers, destroys the landscape, nourishes living organisms, and fills rivers that carry dissolved chemicals and sediment back to the oceans.

Importance of the hydrosphere

Water plays an important role in the carbon cycle. Under the influence of water and dissolved carbon dioxide, calcium is weathered from continental rocks and transported to the oceans, where calcium carbonate is formed (including the shells of marine organisms). Eventually the carbonates are deposited on the seabed and lithified to form limestones. Some of these carbonate rocks later sink into the interior of the Earth due to the global process of plate tectonics and melt, which leads to the release of carbon dioxide (for example, from volcanoes) into the atmosphere. The hydrological cycle, the circulation of carbon and oxygen through the geological and biological systems of the Earth, is the basis for maintaining the life of the planet, the formation of erosion and weathering of the continents, and they contrast sharply with the absence of such processes, for example, on Venus.

Problems of the hydrosphere

The process of melting glaciers

There are many problems that are directly related to the hydrosphere, but the most global are the following:

sea ​​level rise

Sea level rise is an emerging issue that could affect many people and ecosystems around the world. Tide level measurements show a worldwide increase in sea level of 15-20 cm, and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has suggested that the increase is due to the expansion of ocean water due to rising ambient temperatures, melting mountain glaciers, and ice caps. Most of the Earth's glaciers are melting due to, and many scientific studies have shown that the rate of this process is increasing and also has a significant impact on global sea levels.

Reduction of Arctic sea ice

Over the past few decades, Arctic sea ice has shrunk significantly. Recent NASA studies show that it is declining at a rate of 9.6% per decade. This thinning and removal of ice affects the balance of heat and animals. For example, populations are declining due to a break in the ice that separates them from land, and many individuals drown in attempts to swim across. This loss of sea ice also affects the albedo, or reflectivity of the Earth's surface, causing the dark oceans to absorb more heat.

Precipitation change

An increase in precipitation can lead to floods and landslides, while a decrease can lead to droughts and fires. El Niño events, monsoons and hurricanes also affect short-term global climate change. For example, a change in ocean currents off the coast of Peru associated with an El Niño event could lead to changes in weather conditions throughout North America. Changes in monsoon patterns due to rising temperatures can cause droughts in areas around the world that depend on seasonal winds. Hurricanes that intensify with rising sea surface temperatures will become more destructive to humans in the future.

Melting permafrost

It melts as the global temperature rises. This most affects the people living in this one, as the soil on which the houses are located becomes unstable. Not only is there an immediate effect, but scientists fear that thawing permafrost will release huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) into the atmosphere, greatly impacting the environment in the long term. The released will contribute to further global warming by releasing heat into the atmosphere.

Anthropogenic influence of man on the hydrosphere

Humans have had a significant impact on our planet's hydrosphere, and this will continue as the world's population and human needs increase. Global climate change, river flooding, wetland drainage, flow reduction, and irrigation have put pressure on existing freshwater hydrosphere systems. The steady state is being disturbed by the release of toxic chemicals, radioactive substances and other industrial wastes, as well as the leakage of mineral fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides into the Earth's water sources.

Acid rain, caused by the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the burning of fossil fuels, has become a worldwide problem. The acidification of freshwater lakes and the increased concentration of aluminum in their waters are believed to be responsible for significant changes in lake ecosystems. In particular, many lakes today do not have significant fish populations.

Eutrophication caused by human intervention is becoming a problem for freshwater ecosystems. As excess nutrients and organic matter from agricultural and industrial wastewater are released into water systems, they become artificially enriched. This affects coastal marine ecosystems as well as the introduction of organic matter into the oceans, which is many times greater than in pre-human times. This has caused biotic changes in some areas, such as the North Sea, where cyanobacteria thrive and diatoms thrive.

As the population increases, the need for drinking water will also increase, and in many parts of the world, due to temperature changes, fresh water is extremely difficult to obtain. As people irresponsibly divert rivers and deplete natural water supplies, this creates even more problems.

Humans have had a great impact on the hydrosphere and will continue to do so in the future. It is important to understand the impact we have on the environment and work to reduce negative impacts.

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Water types	Name	Volume, mln.km 3	Quantity in relation to the total volume of the hydrosphere,%
sea ​​waters
Ground (excluding soil) water	unpaved
Ice and snow (Arctic, Antarctica, Greenland, mountain ice regions)
Surface waters of land: lakes, reservoirs, rivers, swamps, soil waters
Atmospheric waters	atmospheric
	biological

In the hydrosphere, there is a constant and systematic interaction of its constituent parts, which determines water cycle in nature- continuous movement of water under the action of solar energy and gravity.

The oceans and its parts

The term “World Ocean” was proposed by the Russian geographer and oceanographer Shokalsky Yu.M. The area of ​​the world's oceans is 361.1 million km 2, which is 70.8% of the earth's surface.

The World Ocean is conditionally subdivided into its constituent parts - the oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic (Table 10). The main difference between the waters of the oceans and the waters of land is salinity - the number of grams of substances dissolved in 1 liter of water. Salinity is measured in ppm. The average salinity of sea water is 35‰ (35 g per 1 liter), the maximum salinity of water is observed in tropical latitudes, in temperate and equatorial latitudes its value approaches the average, in subpolar regions it is less saline -32-33‰.

Table 10

World Ocean

Oceans are divided into seas, bays, straits.

The sea is a part of the ocean, isolated by land, differing in salinity, water temperature, and currents (see Table 11). The shallowest sea is distinguished - Azov (Atlantic Ocean basin), the deepest - Philippine (Pacific Ocean basin), the most salty - Red (Indian Ocean basin), the largest in area - Philippine, the smallest - Marmara (Atlantic Ocean basin).

According to the degree of isolation, the sea is divided into:

internal (deeply flowing into the land) - Red, Caribbean, Bering;

marginal - slightly isolated from the ocean, adjacent to the mainland (Barents, Norwegian).

Bay - part of the sea (ocean) deeply flowing into the land (see table. 12).

Depending on the causes of occurrence, size, configuration, among the bays there are:

bays - small water areas with isolated coastal capes, islands, convenient for mooring ships;

estuary - funnel-shaped bays formed at the mouths of rivers under the influence of sea currents;

fjords - narrow and deep bays with rocky and high shores;

lagoons - a shallow bay, separated from the sea by sandy spits and connected to it by a strait;

estuaries - bays formed when the widened mouths of lowland rivers are flooded by the sea;

lip - a sea bay at the mouth of a river.

The waters of the oceans are in constant motion. There are sea currents (horizontal movement of water masses along permanent paths) and waves. Tidal waves cause fluctuations in the surface of the oceans, caused by the attraction of the Earth by the Moon and the Sun. The maximum value of tides of 18 m in the world is observed in the Bay of Fundy (part of the Gulf of Maine of the Atlantic Ocean), off the coast of Russia - Penzhina Bay (part of the Shelikhov Bay in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk (13 m).

A strait is a narrow body of water bounded by land on both sides. The widest strait is the Drake Passage, the longest is Mozambique. The largest straits of the world are presented in table 13.

Islands A piece of land that is surrounded on all sides by water. About 79% of the insular land is occupied by 28 large islands (Table 14). The largest island in the world in terms of area is Greenland, in Russia - the island of Sakhalin.

Archipelago- a group of islands lying at a short distance from each other and having a common base.

Table 11

Name	Area, thousand square meters km		Wed depth, m	Salinity,	Major flowing rivers	Major ports
Pacific Ocean
Beringovo		Outskirts			Yukon, Anadyr	Anadyr, Providence, Nome
East China		Outskirts				Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jilong, Nagasaki
yellow		internal			Huanghe, Haihe, Liaohe, Yalujiang	Tian Jin, Qingdao, Dalian, Luishun, Nampo, Chemulpo
coral		Outskirts				Cairns, Port Moresby, Noumea
Okhotsk		Outskirts				Magadan, Okhotsk, Korsakov, Severo-Kurilsk
Tasmanovo		Outskirts				Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle, Auckland, New Plymouth
South China		Outskirts			Mekong, Hongha (Red)	Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Manila, Singapore
Japanese		Outskirts				Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Soviet Harbour, Niigata, Tsuruga, Busan
Filipino		Outskirts
Atlantic
Azov		internal			Don, Kuban	Taganrog, Yeysk, Mariupol, Berdyansk
Baltic		internal		On the 3 west - 11, in the center - 6–8	Neva, Zap. Dvina, Neman, Vistula, Oder (Odra)	St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Tallinn, Riga, Ventspils, Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Rostock, Luebeck, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki, Kotka
caribbean		Outskirts				Maracaibo, La Guaira, Cartagena, Colon, Santo Domingo, Santiago de Cuba
Marble		internal		in the North -20, in the South -25-26
Northern		Outskirts			Elbe, Rhine, Meuse, Thames	Antwerp, London, Hamburg, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Gothenburg, Oslo, Bergen
mediterranean		internal		In the West -36, in the East - 39.5	Nile, Rhone, Ebro, Po	Barcelona, ​​Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Venice, Thessaloniki, Beirut, Alexandria, Port Said, Tripoli, Algeria
Black		internal			Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, Southern Bug	Novorossiysk, Tuapse, Odessa, Ilyichevsk, Poti, Batumi, Constanta, Burgas, Varna, Trabzon
Arabian		Outskirts				Bombay, Karachi, Aden,
Red		internal				Suez, Port Sudan, Massawa, Jeddah, Hodeidah
Arctic
Barents		Outskirts				Murmansk, Varde
White		internal			Northern Dvina, Mezen, Onega	Arkhangelsk, Onega, Belomorsk, Kem, Kandalaksha
East Siberian		Outskirts			indigirka,
Greenlandic		Outskirts				Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Akureyri
Kara		Outskirts			Ob, Yenisei, Pur, Taz	Dixon, Dudinka, Igarka
Laptev		Outskirts		in the North -34,	Lena, Khatanga, Yana
Chukchi		Outskirts			Amguema, Kobuk,

our planet Earth from space looks like a blue ball. This is because water takes up almost 3/4 the surface of the planet.

Water on our planet is in three states of aggregation: liquid, solid (ice and snow), gaseous (steam). Water forms the water shell of our planet - hydrosphere. The name hydrosphere comes from the Greek words "hydor" - water, "sphere" - a ball. The hydrosphere is a discontinuous water shell, which includes three main components: the oceans, land waters and water in the atmosphere. All parts of the hydrosphere are interconnected by the process of the water cycle in nature. What is the water cycle? Under the influence of sunlight, the water in the ocean evaporates and rises, forming clouds. Due to the movement of air masses, water from the clouds falls on land in the form of precipitation, while replenishing ground and surface waters, which carry them back to the oceans. Then the cycle repeats. This is the water cycle on Earth.

oceans called the entire water mass of the hydrosphere surrounding the continents. The World Ocean accounts for over 96.5% of all water on our planet. The average water temperature of the World Ocean is +17.5 °С. The main reason that distinguishes the waters of the World Ocean from the waters of land is increased salinity. The water of the World Ocean is a saline solution of complex composition. It contains 44 chemical elements in varying amounts (among them: sodium, chlorine, magnesium, calcium, gold and others). Salt concentration, i.e. salinity - averages 35 ‰. What does it mean? This means that 1 liter of sea water contains on average 35 grams of salt (mainly table salt). It is salt that gives water a salty taste, making it unsuitable for drinking and use in industry and agriculture.

The water of the oceans is in constant motion. This applies to both the circulation of water between the spheres and the mechanical movement that occurs vertically (up and down) and horizontally (along the surface).

The distribution over the surface of the globe, the structural features of the basins, the diversity of the chemical composition and organic life - all this makes it possible to divide the World Ocean into its component parts. The largest structures are individual oceans.

Most often, the oceans are divided into four ocean a: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic. Some scientists single out the Southern Ocean - the body of water that surrounds Antarctica. But this is a very controversial issue: whether it should be singled out or not. Therefore, for now, we will only talk about the four oceans.

The largest is the Pacific Ocean. It alone occupies almost half the area of ​​the World Ocean and holds 53% of its water volume. The Pacific Ocean is not only the largest, but also the deepest. It is in it that the deepest trench - the Mariana Trench - is located. Its depth is 11,022 meters.

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest. But its main distinguishing feature is not in this. This is the most elongated, we can say that the narrowest ocean. Its length exceeds its width several times. The maximum depth is 8742 meters (Puerto Rico Trench).

The third largest ocean is the Indian Ocean. Its distinguishing feature is that it lies almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. The maximum depth reaches 7729 meters (Zonda Trench).

And the smallest and shallowest of all oceans is the Arctic. Its depth ranges from 1 to 5 km, reaching a maximum of 5527 meters in the northeast of the Greenland Sea.

The parts of the oceans that protrude into the land and differ in the properties of their waters are called seas. Seas can be marginal and inland. Marginal seas are located in the coastal zone transitional to the mainland, often separated from the entire ocean by chains of islands. The marginal seas include the Philippine, Arabian, Sargasso. Inland seas are deeply cut into land masses, separating continents or parts of them. Inland seas are Black, Mediterranean, Red.

Seas differ in the properties of their water mass. These are temperature, salinity, prevailing currents.

Let's deal with this in more detail.

The warmest seas are located in the equatorial and tropical latitudes, their temperature is always higher than the temperature of the water in the ocean. The water temperature in the Red Sea can reach +38°C, in the Caribbean and Arabian Sea up to +30°C. The seas located in high latitudes are cold, their surface freezes in winter (for example, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the Barents Sea, the Beaufort Sea).

The salinity of different seas is also very different. There is a relationship between temperature and salt concentration: the higher the temperature, the more active evaporation occurs and the greater the salinity.

The most salty is the Red Sea (42 ppm), the seas of the Arctic Ocean have a low salinity - 11-12 ppm.

The waters of the seas have different transparency, the most transparent water of the Sargasso Sea, the most muddy - at the Yellow, into which the Yellow River (Yellow River) carries its waters. Water transparency is reduced not only by mineral particles brought from land, but also by plant and animal microorganisms, which periodically fill the upper layers of sea waters.

A bay is a part of the body of water that goes deep into the land. A bay, especially a large one, can be very similar in size to the sea. The Hindustan peninsula is washed by the Arabian Sea from the west, and from the east by the Bay of Bengal, which has the same dimensions.

The main distinguishing features of the sea and the bay:

The sea is separated from the ocean by some physical object, and the bay is only a part of the reservoir deeply cut into the land.

· The sea has a hydrological regime that is different from the ocean, and the physical and chemical parameters of the bay are similar to the reservoir to which it belongs.

Separate parts of the ocean are interconnected by straits. A strait is a fairly narrow body of water, bounded on both sides by land.

Now let's move on to another component of the hydrosphere - land waters.

Rivers, lakes, swamps, glaciers and underground waters are land waters. For the most part, they are fresh. Land waters own an insignificant part of all water in the hydrosphere - about 3.5%. Although this volume is quite small, its role in the geographical shell is enormous. After all, without the surface waters of the land, there would be no water cycle on Earth.

Land waters are divided into 2 large groups: surface and ground waters.

We refer to surface waters: rivers, lakes, swamps. In the total amount of water on Earth, their share is very small - only 0.02%.

Groundwater makes up about 1.5% of all water on Earth. They are located in the upper part of the earth's crust. These waters can be salty and fresh, cold, warm and hot. Often they are saturated with substances useful for human health and are medicinal (mineral waters).

A geyser is a hot spring that periodically ejects fountains of hot water and pressurized steam.

An interesting fact: Yellowstone (US territory) is not just the largest valley of geysers on the planet, it is the first National Park in the world where hot springs have been taken under state protection since 1976.

It is here that the most famous geyser of the planet with a slightly romantic name - "Old Faithful" is located. When the underground source "wakes up", you can hear the quiet sound of water, then tremors .... Literally in 10-15 minutes, a huge column of water breaks out, the height of which can reach 55 m. Only two or three minutes you can observe a similar natural phenomenon. Then the "Old Servant" "falls asleep" again. But during this time, more than 50 liters of water falls to the surface. Fast, unusual, spectacular. The "Old Servant" reminds of itself once every 92 minutes, this fact has made it the most popular geyser among tourists and the most visited attraction in the United States.

Groundwater reserves are replenished due to atmospheric precipitation, which seeps through some of the rocks that make up the earth's surface. Thus, groundwater is involved in the water cycle in nature.

Glaciers contain about 2% of the water on Earth. There are areas on the globe covered with never-melting ice and snow. They are located where the climate is cold and humid, winters are long and snowy, and summers are cool and short. The snow does not have time to melt during the summer. Year after year, it accumulates in depressions or basins and, over time, covers the surface of the Earth with a continuous cover. Glaciers cover approximately 11% of the land. They are located primarily on the mainland of Antarctica and the island of Greenland. Blocks of ice that break off along their shores form floating mountains - icebergs. Some of them reach enormous sizes. In temperate and tropical latitudes, ice and eternal snow cover the tops of high mountains. For example, the Himalayas, the Pamirs, the Tien Shan. Glaciers can be called pantries of fresh water. So far, it is almost never used, but scientists propose, for example, to use the energy of a nuclear power plant to ensure the melting of a glacier at its location, followed by the supply of fresh water through pipelines to various regions of the globe.

And the last component of the hydrosphere: atmospheric water.

The atmosphere contains water vapor, water droplets and ice crystals. The water content in the atmosphere is relatively small - about 0.001% of its total mass on our planet. However, without them, the water cycle on our planet would not be possible.

The main sources of atmospheric moisture are surface water bodies and moist soil; in addition, moisture enters the atmosphere as a result of the evaporation of water by plants, as well as the respiratory processes of living beings.

The evaporation of water vapor leads to the formation of clouds; Atmospheric moisture lost as a result of precipitation is replenished due to the inflow of new portions of evaporated water. A complete renewal of the composition of water in the atmosphere occurs in about 10 days.

Despite the seeming lightness and airiness of the clouds, they contain a significant amount of water. These giant water masses are continuously carried by air currents over the Earth's surface, causing a redistribution of water and heat on it.

Each of the spheres of the planet has its own characteristic features. None of them has been fully studied yet, despite the fact that research is ongoing. The hydrosphere, the water shell of the planet, is of great interest both to scientists and to simply curious people who want to study the processes taking place on Earth in more depth.

Water is the basis of all life, it is a powerful vehicle, an excellent solvent and a truly endless pantry of food and mineral resources.

What is the hydrosphere made of?

The hydrosphere includes all water that is not chemically bound and regardless of the state of aggregation (liquid, vapor, frozen) it is in. The general view of the classification of parts of the hydrosphere looks like this:

World Ocean

This is the main, most significant part of the hydrosphere. The totality of the oceans is a water shell that is not continuous. It is divided by islands and continents. The waters of the World Ocean are characterized by a common salt composition. It includes four main oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic and Indian oceans. Some sources also distinguish the fifth, the Southern Ocean.

The study of the oceans began many centuries ago. The first explorers are navigators - James Cook and Ferdinand Magellan. It was thanks to these travelers that European scientists received invaluable information about the extent of the water area and the outlines and sizes of the continents.

The oceanosphere makes up about 96% of the world's oceans and has a fairly uniform salt composition. Fresh water also enters the oceans, but their share is small - only about half a million cubic kilometers. These waters enter the oceans with precipitation and river runoff. A small amount of incoming fresh water determines the constancy of the composition of salt in ocean waters.

continental waters

Continental waters (also called surface waters) are those that are temporarily or permanently located in water bodies located on the surface of the globe. These include all water flowing and collecting on the surface of the earth:

• swamps;
• rivers;
• seas;
• other drains and reservoirs (for example, reservoirs).

Surface waters are divided into fresh and saline, and are the opposite of groundwater.

The groundwater

All waters located in the earth's crust (in rocks) are called. They can be in gaseous, solid or liquid state. Groundwater makes up a significant part of the planet's water reserves. Their total is 60 million cubic kilometers. Groundwater is classified according to its depth. They are:

• mineral
• artesian
• ground
• interstratal
• soil

Mineral waters are waters that contain trace elements, dissolved salt.

Artesian - this is pressure groundwater, located between water-resistant layers in rocks. They belong to minerals, and usually lie at a depth of 100 meters to one kilometer.

Groundwater is called gravitational water, located in the upper, closest to the surface, water-resistant layer. This type of groundwater has a free surface and usually does not have a solid rock roof.

Interstratal waters are called low-lying waters located between layers.

Soil waters are waters that move under the influence of molecular forces or gravity and fill some of the gaps between the particles of the soil cover.

General properties of the components of the hydrosphere

Despite the variety of conditions, compositions and locations, the hydrosphere of our planet is one. It unites all the waters of the globe by a common source of origin (the earth's mantle) and the interconnection of all the waters included in the water cycle on the planet.

The water cycle is an ongoing process, consisting in constant movement under the influence of gravity and solar energy. The water cycle is a link for the entire shell of the Earth, but also connects other shells - the atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere.

During this process, it can be in the main three states. Throughout the existence of the hydrosphere, it is being updated, and each of its parts is updated over a different period of time. Thus, the period of renewal of the waters of the World Ocean is approximately three thousand years, the water vapor in the atmosphere is completely renewed in eight days, and the cover glaciers of Antarctica may take up to ten million years to renew. An interesting fact: all waters that are in a solid state (in permafrost, glaciers, snow covers) are united by the name cryosphere.

The globe is covered by a geographical envelope, which includes the lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. Without the complex of geospheres and their close interaction, there would be no life on the planet. Let us consider in more detail what the Earth's hydrosphere is, and what is the importance of the water shell in all vital processes.

The structure of the hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is a continuous water shell of the planet, which is located between the solid earth shell and the atmosphere. It includes absolutely all water, which, depending on environmental conditions, can be in three states: solid, gaseous and liquid.

The hydrosphere is one of the most ancient shells of the planet, which existed in almost all geological epochs. Its occurrence became possible due to the most complex geophysical processes, the result of which was the formation of the atmosphere and hydrosphere, between which there has always been the closest connection.

The hydrosphere, one way or another, permeates all the geospheres of the globe. Groundwater percolates to the very bottom of the earth's crust. The main mass of water vapor is distributed in the lower part of the atmosphere - the troposphere.

The hydrosphere accounts for about 1390 million square meters. km. It is usually divided into three main parts:

• World Ocean - the main part of the hydrosphere, which includes all the oceans: Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic. The totality of the oceans is not an integral water shell: it is divided and limited by continents and islands. Salty oceanic waters make up 96% of the total volume of the hydrosphere.

The main characteristic of the World Ocean is the general and unchanging salt composition. Fresh water also enters the ocean waters along with river runoff and atmospheric precipitation, but its amount is so small that it does not affect the salt concentration in any way.

Rice. 1. Waters of the oceans

• Continental surface waters - these are all water basins located on the surface of the globe: swamps, reservoirs, seas, lakes, rivers. Surface water can be both salty and fresh, artificial and natural.

The seas of the hydrosphere are marginal and inland, which, in turn, are divided into intracontinental, intercontinental and interisland.

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• The groundwater are all waters located underground. Sometimes the concentration of salts in them can reach a very high level, they may contain gases and various elements.

The classification of groundwater is based on the depth of their occurrence. They are mineral, artesian, soil, interstratal and soil.

Of great importance in metabolic processes is fresh water, which in total makes up only 4% of the total water reserves on the planet. The main part of fresh water is contained in snow covers and glaciers.

Rice. 2. Glaciers are the main sources of fresh water

General properties of all parts of the hydrosphere

Despite the difference in composition, states and locations, all parts of the hydrosphere are interconnected and represent a single whole. All its parts take an active part in the global water cycle.

The water cycle - a continuous process of moving water masses under the influence of solar energy. This is the connecting link of the entire earthly shell, a necessary condition for the existence of life on the planet.

In addition, water performs a number of important functions:

• The accumulation of a large amount of heat, thanks to which the planet maintains a stable average temperature.
• Oxygen production. A large number of microorganisms live in the water shell, producing a valuable gas necessary for the existence of all life on Earth.
• resource base. The waters of the World Ocean and surface waters are of great value as resources for human life. Catching commercial fish, mining, the use of water for industrial purposes - and this is only an incomplete list of human use of water.

The influence of the hydrosphere on human activity can also be negative. Natural phenomena in the form of high waters and floods pose a great threat, and can overtake almost any region of the planet.

Hydrosphere and man

With the development of scientific and technological progress, the anthropogenic impact on the hydrosphere began to gain momentum. Human activity has caused the emergence of geoecological problems, as a result of which the water shell of the Earth began to experience the following negative effects:

• pollution of water by chemical and physical pollutants that significantly worsen the quality of water and the living conditions of living animals and plants;
• a sharp decrease or depletion of the water resource, in which its further restoration is impossible;
• the loss of a water body of its natural qualities.

Rice. 3. The main problem of the hydrosphere is pollution

To solve this problem in production, it is necessary to apply the latest protection technologies, thanks to which water basins will not suffer from all kinds of pollution.

What have we learned?

When studying the most important topic in grade 5 geography, we learned what the hydrosphere is and what the water shell consists of. We also found out what is the classification of hydrosphere objects, what are their differences and similarities, how the hydrosphere affects the life of our planet.

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The Earth's hydrosphere is the water shell of the Earth.

Introduction

The Earth is surrounded by an atmosphere and a hydrosphere, which are noticeably different, but at the same time complement each other.

The hydrosphere arose at the early stages of the formation of the Earth, like the atmosphere, influencing all life processes, the functioning of ecological systems, determining the emergence of many animal species.

What is the hydrosphere

The hydrosphere in translation from Greek means a water sphere or a water shell of the earth's surface. This shell is continuous.

Where is the hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is located between the two atmospheres - the gas shell of the planet Earth, and the lithosphere - a solid shell, which means land.

What is the hydrosphere made of?

The hydrosphere consists of water, which differs in chemical composition and is presented in three different states - solid (ice), liquid, gaseous (vapor).

The composition of the Earth's water shell includes oceans, seas, water bodies that can be salty or fresh (lakes, ponds, rivers), glaciers, fjords, ice caps, snow, rain, atmospheric water, and fluid flowing in living organisms.

The share of seas and oceans in the hydrosphere is 96%, another 2% is groundwater, 2% is glaciers, and 0.02 percent (a very small share) is rivers, swamps and lakes. The mass or volume of the hydrosphere is constantly changing, which is associated with the melting of glaciers and the departure of significant areas of land under water.

The volume of the water shell is 1.5 billion cubic kilometers. The mass will constantly increase, given the number of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Most of the hydrosphere is made up of oceans that form the World Ocean. This is the largest and saltiest body of water on Earth, in which the percentage of salinity reaches 35%.

According to the chemical composition, the waters of the oceans contain all the known elements that are located in the periodic table. The total part of sodium, chlorine, oxygen and hydrogen reaches almost 96%. The oceanic crust consists of basalt and sedimentary layers.

The hydrosphere also includes groundwater, which also differs in chemical composition. Sometimes the salt concentration reaches 600%, and they contain gases and derivatives. The most important of these are oxygen and carbon dioxide, which are consumed by plants in the ocean during the process of photosynthesis. It is necessary for the formation of limestone rocks, corals, shells.

Of great importance for the hydrosphere are fresh waters, part of which in the total volume of the shell is almost 3%, of which 2.15% are stored in glaciers. All components of the hydrosphere are interconnected, being in large or small turns, which allows the water to undergo a process of complete renewal.

The boundaries of the hydrosphere

The waters of the World Ocean cover an area of ​​71% of the Earth, where the average depth is 3800 meters, and the maximum depth is 11022 meters. On the land surface are the so-called continental waters, which provide all the vital activity of the biosphere, water supply, watering and irrigation.

The hydrosphere has a lower and an upper boundary. The lower one runs along the so-called Mohorovichic surface - the earth's crust at the bottom of the ocean. The upper boundary is located in the uppermost layers of the atmosphere.

Functions of the hydrosphere

Water on Earth is essential for people and nature. It manifests itself in the following signs:

• First, water is an important source of minerals and raw materials, since people use water more than coal and oil;
• Secondly, it provides interconnections between ecological systems;
• Thirdly, it acts as a mechanism that transfers bioenergetic ecological cycles of global importance;
• Fourth, it is part of all living beings that live on Earth.

Water becomes for many organisms the medium of origin, and then further development and formation. Without water, the development of land, landscapes, karst and slope rocks is impossible. In addition, the hydrosphere facilitates the transport of chemicals.

• Water vapor acts as a filter against the penetration of radiation rays from the Sun to the Earth;
• Water vapor on land helps regulate temperature and climate;
• The constant dynamics of the movement of ocean waters is maintained;
• A stable and normal circulation is ensured throughout the planet.

• Each part of the hydrosphere is involved in the processes that take place in the Earth's geosphere, which include water in the atmosphere, on land and underground. In the atmosphere itself, in the form of steam, there is more than 12 trillion tons of water. Steam is restored and renewed, thanks to condensation and sublimation, turning into clouds, fog. In this case, a significant amount of energy is released.
• Waters located underground and on land are divided into mineral and thermal, which is used in balneology. In addition, these properties have a recreational effect on both humans and nature.