Download - Lake Fenton Community School District

Notes for the Hydrosphere
Nature of water
 Water can be found in all three states on Earth – liquid, solid and gas
 This can happen due to the narrow range of temperature between
the freezing point and boiling point.
 Freezing point of water is 0° C
 Boiling point of water is 100° C
 Once water has reached either the freezing point or the boiling
point a certain amount of energy is required in order for it to
change states.
 Density- the amount of mass in a unit of volume
 Water has different densities.
 Adding substances, like salt, can change the density; saltwater is
less dense than freshwater
 Temperature also affects the density of water; hot water is less
dense than cold water; that is why if you dip your toes in water it
feels nice, but when you jump in it is much cooler
Why is water necessary?
 Water is essential for all life on Earth.
 Also makes our daily lives easier. Many of the extras we have are
from water in some shape or form.
Recycling Water
 About 70% of Earth is covered in water, but less then 1% is available
for human use.
 Ocean water is too salty for bathing, drinking or irrigation
purposes
 Frozen (ice and glaciers) account for 77% of the freshwater
 Groundwater – water held underground in layers of rock and
sediment
 Accounts for much of our water supply
 Also held in underground streams and in the soil
 Aquifer – layer of rock or sediment that allows groundwater to flow
through it and is sometimes used for water supply for towns and
farms
 Water cycle – See the PowerPoint presentation
Pollution of Freshwater
 Pollutant- a substance that contaminates the environment
 Point source- a specific location where pollution can enter water;
ex. A drainage pipe
 Nonpoint source- a wide area such as lawns, construction sites, or
roads where pollution enters water
 The government has created laws to help reduce the amount of water
pollution, but it is difficult to keep tabs on.
 Also, scientists have had to make the tough decisions of how much
of what type of pollution is an issue
Groundwater Resources
 Watershed - A watershed is the area of land that collects and then
drains water to a common body of water, such as a creek, river, or
aquifer.
 Genesee County is in 3 different watersheds.
 The amount of groundwater available in any certain area depends on
the porosity of the rock or soil
 Porosity – volume of space divided by volume of rock or soil
 how much empty space is between the rock and soil of an area
 In order for water to flow through it, it must be permeable and
have a layer of impermeable rock underneath it.
 permeable- having well-connected pores or cracks allowing
substances to flow through it
 impermeable – NO connecting pores or cracks to allow substances
to flow in it
 water flowing through the permeable rock is called an aquifer
 the top surface of the aquifer is called the water table
 Groundwater moves much slower than surface water, may only
move a few centimeters a year
 Wells and springs
 Wells are dug into the aquifer; a pump pulls the water out
 Springs are groundwater that flows to the surface
 Artesian wells and springs use pressure to remove water; they
are created between 2 layers of impermeable material; they
usually do not need pumping
 Groundwater Pollution and Overuse
 Pollution contamination of soil, water, and air; can come from
point source and nonpoint source
 Groundwater pollution sources –
 Road runoff (oil, gas, or other hazardous materials)
 Road salt
 Leaking underground storage tanks (gas stations)
 Septic systems
 Industrial and mining wastes
 Agricultural runoff from pesticides, fertilizers, and
feedlots

Clean up of groundwater is slow and difficult
 Can be pumped out, treated, and returned to the aquifer
 Bioremediation- using living organisms to remove
pollutants
Shortages- occur when more water is pumped out than is
replenished
 Water Cycle- Understand the terms and how water moves thru the
water cycle
 Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, deposition,
infiltration/ percolation, sublimation, and run off
