Water on Earth
Distribution of water on Earth
97 % seawater, 3% freshwater (2% icecaps and glaciers, <1% in ground water, surface, organisms and atmosphere). It is not evenly distributed
Aquifer
A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.
Condensation
A change of state from a gas to a liquid due to a cooling or compression. Happens in clouds so we can have precipitation.
Describe two paths a raindrop falling in the mountains might take to reach the ocean.
Answers will vary. Possible answer: It could travel as surface runoff, flowing through rivers and lakes until it eventually reaches the ocean. Or, it could soak into the ground and flow as groundwater until it eventually reaches the ocean.
precipitation
Any form of water that falls to the Earth's surface from the clouds. *Precipitation is the part of the water cycle in which moisture in the air falls back to earth.
Identify the step in which water changes from a liquid to a gas.
C, evaporation from lakes and rivers, plants and soil, and the ocean.
Fresh water found in soil and rock layers below the Earth's surface is called deep water. True or False
False
Land covers more of Earth's surface than oceans do. True or False
False
conserving water importance
Freshwater is limited and needed to survive
Most of the Earth's fresh water is in the form of _______.
Ice
A. Evaporation B. Condensation C. Precipitation D. Groundwater
Identify A-D of the water cycle. Use the terms precipitation, evaporation, groundwater, and condensation.
Starting with a puddle on a sunny day, write a paragraph describing how water might move through the water cycle and eventually fall back as rain.
Since it's a sunny day the puddle would evaporate, drying the puddle. Then it would condensate into a form of cloud and it could be any type of cloud. Then it would precipitate, so then there would once again be a puddle and the cycle would start over.
water cycle
The continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean. *Individual water molecules may have been part of the water cycle for millions of years.
Describe three things that can happen to water when it falls on Earth's service.
The water can evaporate immediately. It can run off into rivers and lakes and into oceans. Some water soaks into the ground and becomes groundwater.
•Explain how Earth's water moves through the water cycle.
There are 3 main parts to the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Clouds form when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into water droplets. True or False
True
The energy for the water cycle comes from the Sun. True or False
True
Water changes from a liquid to a gas in the process of evaporation. True or False
True
Water moves from the atmosphere to Earth's surface as rain, snow, and other forms of precipitation. True or False
True
groundwater
Water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers. *People use wells to access groundwater.
What sequence of the processes transports water from the ocean into a cloud? a. evaporation and condensation b. condensation and freezing c. precipitation and condensation d. evaporation and condensation
a. evaporation and condensation
Saltinity
amount of dissolved salts in water
How long do you think a water molecule spends in a cloud? a. About 10 years. b. About 10 days. c. About a month. d. About a year.
b. About 10 days.
Which of the following contains the largest percentage of the Earth's water? a. atmosphere b. oceans c. ice/snow d. vegetation
b. oceans
Water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers is called a. salt water. b. rainwater. c. groundwater. d. water vapor.
c. groundwater
Water that falls to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail is called a. condensation b. evaporation c. precipitation d. transpiration
c. precipitation
Where can water molecules spend thousands of years without moving? a. In a lake. b. As groundwater. c. On the surface of a river. d. At the bottom of the ocean.
d. At the bottom of the ocean.
Glaciers
huge, slow moving sheets of ice that contain most of Earth's freshwater
conserving water
reducing water use, recycling water, reusing water
The energy for the water cycle originally comes from the _________.
sun
Runoff
water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground
The Water Cycle
•Water Evaporates •Condensation Forms Clouds •Precipitation