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MODULE 6
Properties and Distribution of
Water
WHERE IS WATER FOUND?
Water covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface
Most of this water (97%) is not drinkable because it is saltwater.
The majority of freshwater (3%) exists in ice caps, glaciers, and oceans.
Most of the freshwater on Earth is frozen! % of the freshwater is frozen!
Of the 23% that is not frozen, approximately a half of a percent is available to
supply living organisms with what they need to survive. The availability of water
varies with local geography and allows humans to utilize water as a resource
Percentages in
this graphic
are
approximate
WHY IS THE OCEAN’S SALT CONTENT SO HIGH?
Because dissolved chemicals eroded from the Earth's crust and washed into the sea.
Solid and gaseous substances from volcanoes were swept to the ocean from the land
by onshore winds
Materials dissolved from sediments deposited on the ocean floor have also
contributed.
SALINITY IN OCEANS
Salinity = salt content in water
 Salinity in ocean waters is increased by evaporation or by freezing of sea ice
 Salinity is decreased as a result of rainfall, runoff, or the melting of ice.
 Salinities are much less than average in coastal waters, in the polar seas, and near
the mouths of large rivers.
 This is due to the fact that at those locations, salt water is mixed with fresh water.
HYDROTHERMAL VENTS
 Hydrothermal vents exist on the crest of oceanic ridges, and release dissolved
minerals into the ocean.
 Hydrothermal vents contain super-heated water, which adds to the mixing of
dissolved minerals in the ocean.
 Hydrothermal vents have a large impact on the salinity of the ocean.
THE OCEAN AND WEATHER
 The ocean holds and circulates water and carbon dioxide.
Since the ocean is so large and dense, it affects the weather more than the
atmosphere.
 Heat energy is stored in the ocean, and if released, can affect weather patterns.
 Sea water has very high density and specific heat, so it can hold a vast amount of
energy in the form of heat.
WATER CYCLE
 The water cycle is continuous movement of water in and around the Earth.
 The sun is responsible for evaporation and condensation.
 Water can precipitate as rain, sleet, or hail.
After precipitation falls, it can be caught by tree canopies, and then be evaporated
back into the atmosphere.
AFTER THE PRECIPITATION FALLS….
 Precipitation that falls to the ground becomes runoff, which flows from the land into
streams.
 Runoff can freeze into glaciers, or snow caps.
If runoff enters the ground, it can be called groundwater.
PERMEABILITY
 Permeability measures how likely rock or other sediment is to allow water to pass
through.
 Water does not pass through impermeable materials.
 A large amount of water is held underground in permeable rock.
 An aquifer is a large amount of groundwater that can be extracted and used.
RIVER BASIN
 A river basin is the portion of land drained by a river
and its tributaries.
 It contains the entire land area drained by various streams and creeks that flow
downhill into a single, larger river.
 The final destination of the water in the river will be an estuary or the ocean.
 Everyone lives in a river basin! Charlotte’s river basin the Catawba river basin.