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

Earth is the 3rd planet from the Sun, located between Venus and Mars. It is the densest planet solar system, the largest of the four and the only astronomical object known to contain life. According to radiometric dating and other research methods, our planet formed about 4.54 billion years ago. The Earth interacts gravitationally with other objects in space, especially the Sun and Moon.

The earth consists of four main spheres or shells, which are dependent on each other and are the biological and physical components of our planet. They are scientifically called biophysical elements, namely the hydrosphere ("hydro" for water), the biosphere ("bio" for living beings), the lithosphere ("litho" for land or the earth's surface), and the atmosphere ("atmo" for air). These main spheres of our planet are further divided into various sub-spheres.

Let us consider all four shells of the Earth in more detail in order to understand their functions and significance.

Lithosphere - the solid shell of the Earth

According to scientists, there are more than 1386 million km³ of water on our planet.

The oceans contain more than 97% of the water on Earth. The rest is fresh water, two-thirds of which is frozen in the planet's polar regions and on snowy mountain peaks. It is interesting to note that although water covers most of the planet's surface, it only makes up 0.023% of the Earth's total mass.

Biosphere - the living shell of the Earth

The biosphere is sometimes considered as one big - a complex community of living and non-living components, functioning as a whole. However, most often the biosphere is described as a collection of many ecological systems.

Atmosphere - the air shell of the Earth

The atmosphere is the collection of gases that surround our planet, held in place by the earth's gravity. Most of our atmosphere is near the earth's surface, where it is at its densest. Earth's air is 79% nitrogen and slightly less than 21% oxygen, as well as argon, carbon dioxide and other gases. Water vapor and dust are also part of the Earth's atmosphere. Other planets and the Moon have very different atmospheres, and some do not have one at all. There is no atmosphere in space.

The atmosphere is so spread out that it is almost imperceptible, but its weight is equal to a layer of water more than 10 meters deep, which covers our entire planet. The lower 30 kilometers of the atmosphere contain about 98% of its total mass.

Scientists claim that many of the gases in our atmosphere were ejected into the air by early volcanoes. At that time, there was little or no free oxygen around the Earth. Free oxygen is made up of oxygen molecules not bound to another element such as carbon (to form carbon dioxide) or hydrogen (to form water).

Free oxygen may have been added to the atmosphere by primitive organisms, probably bacteria, during . Later more complex shapes added more oxygen to the atmosphere. The oxygen in today's atmosphere probably took millions of years to build up.

The atmosphere acts like a giant filter, absorbing most of the ultraviolet radiation and letting the sun's rays through. Ultraviolet radiation is harmful to living beings and can cause burns. However solar energy necessary for all life on earth.

The Earth's atmosphere has The following layers go from the surface of the planet to the sky: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. Another layer, called the ionosphere, extends from the mesosphere to the exosphere. Outside the exosphere is space. The boundaries between the atmospheric layers are not clearly defined and vary with latitude and season.

The relationship of the shells of the Earth

All four spheres can be present in one place. For example, a piece of soil will contain minerals from the lithosphere. In addition, there will be elements of the hydrosphere, which are moisture in the soil, the biosphere as insects and plants, and even the atmosphere in the form of soil air.

All spheres are interconnected and depend on each other, as a single organism. Changes in one area will lead to changes in another. Therefore, everything that we do on our planet affects other processes in its aisles (even if we cannot see it with our own eyes).

For people dealing with problems, it is very important to understand the interconnection of all the shells of the Earth.

The water shell of the Earth is called the hydrosphere. It includes all water on the planet, and not only in liquid, but also in solid and gaseous states. How was formed water shell Earth? How is it distributed on the planet? What does it matter?

Hydrosphere

When the Earth was first formed, there was no water on it. Four billion years ago, our planet was a huge spherical molten body. There is a theory that water appeared at the same time as the planet. In the form of small ice crystals, it was present in the gas and dust cloud from which the Earth was formed.

According to another version, falling comets and asteroids “delivered” water to us. It has long been known that comets are ice blocks with impurities of methane and ammonia.

Under influence high temperatures the ice melted and turned into water and steam, from which the water shell of the Earth was formed. It is called the hydrosphere and is one of the geospheres. Its main amount is distributed between the lithosphere and the atmosphere. It includes absolutely all the water of the planet in any state of aggregation, including glaciers, lakes, seas, oceans, rivers, water vapor, etc.

The water shell covers most of the earth's surface. It is solid, but not continuous, as it is interrupted by land areas. The volume of the hydrosphere is 1400 million cubic meters. Part of the water is contained in the atmosphere (steam) and the lithosphere (sedimentary cover water).

World Ocean

The hydrosphere, the water shell of the Earth, is 96% represented by the World Ocean. Its salty waters wash all the islands and continents. Continental land divides it into four large parts, which are called oceans:

• Quiet.
• Atlantic.
• Indian.
• Arctic.

In some classifications, the fifth Southern Ocean is distinguished. Each of them has its own level of salinity, vegetation, fauna, as well as individual characteristics. For example, the Arctic Ocean is the coldest of all. Its central part all year round covered with ice.

Pacific Ocean- the biggest. Along its edges is the Ring of Fire - an area where 328 active volcanoes of the planet are located. The second largest is the Atlantic Ocean, its waters are the most saline. The third largest is the Indian Ocean.

Large areas of the World Ocean form seas, bays and straits. The seas are usually isolated by land and differ in climatic and hydrological conditions. Bays are more open bodies of water. They cut deep into the continents and are divided into harbors, lagoons and bays. Straits are long and not too wide objects located between two land areas.

Land waters

The water shell of the Earth also includes waters, lakes, swamps, ponds and glaciers. They make up slightly more than 3.5% of the hydrosphere. At the same time, they contain 99% of the planet's fresh water. The most massive "bank" drinking water are glaciers. Their area is 16 million square meters. km.

Rivers are constant streams that flow in small depressions - channels. The rains feed them The groundwater, melted glaciers and snow. Rivers flow into lakes and seas, saturating them with fresh water.

Lakes do not connect directly to the ocean. They form in natural depressions and often do not communicate with other water bodies. Some of them are filled only due to rainfall, and may disappear during periods of drought. Unlike rivers, lakes are not only fresh, but also salty.

Groundwater is found in the earth's crust. They exist in liquid, gaseous and solid states. These waters are formed due to the seepage of rivers and precipitation into the Earth. They move both horizontally and vertically, and the speed of this process depends on the properties of the rocks in which they flow.

The water cycle

The water shell of the Earth is not static. Its components are constantly in motion. They move in the atmosphere, on the surface of the planet and in its thickness, participating in the water cycle in nature. Its total amount does not change.

The cycle is a closed repetitive process. It starts with evaporation fresh water with sushi and upper layers ocean. So, it enters the atmosphere and is contained in it in the form of water vapor. Wind currents carry it to other regions of the planet, where the vapor falls as liquid or solid precipitation.

Part of the precipitation remains on the glaciers or lingers for several months on the tops of the mountains. The other part seeps into the ground or evaporates again. Groundwater fills streams, rivers that flow into the oceans. Thus, the circle is closed.

Precipitation also falls over But the seas and oceans give off much more moisture than they receive with rain. Sushi is the opposite. With the help of the cycle, the water composition of lakes can be completely renewed in 20 years, the composition of the oceans - only after 3,000 years.

The value of the water shell of the Earth

The role of the hydrosphere is invaluable. At least due to the fact that it became the cause of the origin of life on our planet. Many living beings live in water and cannot exist without it. Every organism contains about 50% water. With its help, the metabolism and energy in living cells is carried out.

The water shell of the Earth is involved in the formation of climate and weather. The world's oceans have a much greater heat capacity than land. It is a huge "battery" that warms the atmosphere of the planet.

A person uses the components of the hydrosphere in economic activities and everyday life. Fresh water is drunk, used in the house for washing, cleaning and cooking. It is used as a source of electricity, as well as for medicinal and other purposes.

Conclusion

The water shell of the Earth is the hydrosphere. It includes absolutely all the water on our planet. The hydrosphere was formed billions of years ago. According to scientists, it was in it that life on Earth originated.

The shell components are oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, glaciers, etc. Less than three percent of their waters are fresh and drinkable. The rest of the water is salty. The hydrosphere forms climatic conditions, participates in the formation of relief and the maintenance of life on the planet. Its waters constantly circulate, participating in the cycle of substances in nature.

Hydrosphere - the water shell of our planet, includes all water, chemically unbound, regardless of its state (liquid, gaseous, solid). The hydrosphere is one of the geospheres located between the atmosphere and the lithosphere. This discontinuous envelope includes all oceans, seas, continental fresh and salt water bodies, ice masses, atmospheric water, and water in living things.

Approximately 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by the hydrosphere. Its volume is about 1400 million cubic meters, which is 1/800 of the volume of the entire planet. 98% of the waters of the hydrosphere is the World Ocean, 1.6% is enclosed in continental ice, the rest of the hydrosphere falls on the share of fresh rivers, lakes, groundwater. Thus, the hydrosphere is divided into the World Ocean, groundwater and continental waters, and each group, in turn, includes subgroups of more low levels. So, in the atmosphere, water is in the stratosphere and troposphere, on the earth's surface the waters of the oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, glaciers are released, in the lithosphere - the waters of the sedimentary cover, the foundation.

Despite the fact that the bulk of water is concentrated in the oceans and seas, and only a small part of the hydrosphere (0.3%) accounts for surface water, it is they that play leading role in the existence of the Earth's biosphere. Surface water is the main source of water supply, watering and irrigation. In the water exchange zone, fresh groundwater is rapidly renewed during the general water cycle, therefore, with rational use, it can be used for an unlimited period of time.

During the development of the young Earth, the hydrosphere was formed during the formation of the lithosphere, which, over the geological history of our planet, has released a huge amount of water vapor and underground magmatic waters. The hydrosphere was formed during the long evolution of the Earth and the differentiation of its structural components. Life was born in the hydrosphere for the first time on Earth. Later, at the beginning of the Paleozoic era, the emergence of living organisms on land took place, and their gradual settlement on the continents began. Life without water is impossible. The tissues of all living organisms contain up to 70-80% water.

The waters of the hydrosphere constantly interact with the atmosphere, the earth's crust, the lithosphere, and the biosphere. At the boundary between the hydrosphere and the lithosphere, almost all sedimentary rocks are formed that make up the sedimentary layer of the earth's crust. The hydrosphere can be considered as part of the biosphere, since it is completely populated by living organisms, which, in turn, affect the composition of the hydrosphere. The interaction of the waters of the hydrosphere, the transition of water from one state to another manifests itself as a complex water cycle in nature. All types of water cycle of various volumes represent a single hydrological cycle, during which the renewal of all types of water is carried out. The hydrosphere is an open system, the waters of which are closely interconnected, which determines the unity of the hydrosphere as a natural system and the mutual influence of the hydrosphere and other geospheres.

Related content:

Water on our planet is in three states - liquid, solid (ice, snow) and gaseous (steam). Currently, water occupies 3/4.

Water forms the water shell of our planet - the hydrosphere.

The hydrosphere (from the Greek words "hydro" - water, "sphere" - a ball) 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 already known to you.

1. Explain how water from the continents enters the oceans.
2. How does water get into the atmosphere?
3. How does water get back to land?

The oceans account for over 96% of all water on our planet.

Continents and islands divide the World Ocean into separate oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian,.

AT last years maps highlight the Southern Ocean - the body of water surrounding Antarctica. The largest in area is the Pacific Ocean, the smallest is the Arctic Ocean.

The parts of the oceans that protrude into the land and differ in the properties of their waters are called seas. There are a lot of them. The largest seas of the planet are the Philippine, Arabian, Coral.

Water in natural conditions contains various substances dissolved in it. In 1 liter of ocean water, on average, contains 35 g of salt (most of all table salt), which gives it a salty taste, makes it unsuitable for drinking and use in industry and agriculture.

Rivers, lakes, swamps, glaciers and underground waters are land waters. Most of the land's waters are fresh, but salty ones are also found among lakes and groundwater.

You know what a huge role rivers, lakes, swamps play in nature and people's lives. But here's what is surprising: in the total amount of water on Earth, their share is very small - only 0.02%.

Much more water enclosed in glaciers - about 2%. Do not confuse them with the ice that forms when water freezes. occur where more falls than has time to melt. Gradually, the snow accumulates, compacts and turns into ice. Glaciers cover about 1/10 of the land. They are located primarily on the mainland of Antarctica and the island of Greenland, which are covered with huge ice shells. Blocks of ice that break off along their shores form floating mountains - icebergs.

Some of them reach enormous sizes. Large areas are occupied by glaciers in the mountains, especially in such high places as the Himalayas, the Pamirs, and the Tien Shan.

Glaciers can be called pantries of fresh water. So far, it has hardly been used, but scientists have long been developing projects to transport icebergs to arid regions in order to provide drinking water local residents.

They also make up about 2% 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).

In many places, for example, along the banks of rivers, in ravines, groundwater comes to the surface, forming springs (they are also called springs and springs).

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 nature.

Water in the atmosphere

Contains water vapor, water droplets and ice crystals. Together they make up fractions of a percent of the total amount of water on Earth. But without them, the water cycle on our planet would be impossible.

1. What is the hydrosphere? List its constituent parts.
2. What oceans form the World Ocean of our planet?
3. What makes up land water?
4. How are glaciers formed and where are they located?
5. What is the role of groundwater?
6. What is water in the atmosphere?
7. What is the difference between river, lake and ?
8. What is the danger of an iceberg?
9. Are there salt water bodies on our planet other than seas and oceans?

The water shell of the Earth is called the hydrosphere. It consists of 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. The oceans account for over 96% of the world's water. It is divided into separate oceans. The parts of the oceans that jut out into the land are called seas. Land waters include rivers, lakes, swamps, glaciers, groundwater. The atmosphere contains water vapor, water droplets and ice crystals.

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The hydrosphere is the water shell of the Earth, which partially covers the solid surface of the earth.

According to scientists, the Hydrosphere was formed slowly, accelerating only during periods of tectonic activity.

Sometimes the Hydrosphere is also called the World Ocean. We will use the term Hydrosphere to avoid confusion. About the World Ocean, as part of the Hydrosphere, you can read in the article THE WORLD OCEAN AND ITS PARTS → .

For a better understanding of the essence of the term Hydrosphere, below are a few definitions.

Hydrosphere

Ecological dictionary

HYDROSPHERE (from hydro ... and Greek sphaira - ball) - intermittent water shell of the Earth. Closely interacts with the living shell of the Earth. The hydrosphere is the habitat of hydrobionts found throughout the entire water column - from the film surface tension water (epineuston) to the maximum depths of the World Ocean (up to 11,000 m). The total volume of water on Earth in all its physical states - liquid, solid, gaseous - is 1,454,703.2 km3, of which 97% falls on the waters of the oceans. In terms of area, the hydrosphere occupies about 71% of the entire area of ​​the planet. Total share water resources hydrosphere suitable for economic use without special measures - about 5–6 million km3, which is equal to 0.3–0.4% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere, i.e. the volume of all free water on Earth. The hydrosphere is the cradle of life on our planet. Living organisms play an active role in the water cycle on Earth: the entire volume of the hydrosphere passes through living matter in 2 million years.

Ecological encyclopedic dictionary. - Chisinau: Main edition of the Moldavian Soviet Encyclopedia. I.I. Dedu 1989

Geological Encyclopedia

HYDROSPHERE - a discontinuous water shell of the Earth, one of the geospheres, located between the atmosphere and the lithosphere; the totality of oceans, seas, continental waters and ice sheets. The hydrosphere covers about 70.8% of the earth's surface. The volume of G. is 1370.3 million km3, which is approximately 1/800 of the volume of the planet. 98.3% of the mass of ice is concentrated in the World Ocean, 1.6% - in continental ice. The hydrosphere interacts with the atmosphere and lithosphere in a complex way. Most sediments are formed on the boundary between the lithosphere and the lithosphere. g.p. (see Modern sedimentation). The city is part of the biosphere and is entirely inhabited by living organisms that affect its composition. G.'s origin is associated with the long evolution of the planet and the differentiation of its matter.

Geological dictionary: in 2 volumes. - M.: Nedra. Edited by K. N. Paffengolts et al. 1978

Marine vocabulary

The hydrosphere is the totality of oceans, seas and land waters, as well as groundwater, glaciers and snow cover. Often, the hydrosphere refers only to the oceans and seas.

Edwart. Explanatory Naval Dictionary, 2010

Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

HYDROSPHERE (from hydro and sphere) - the totality of all water bodies of the globe: oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, swamps, groundwater, glaciers and snow cover. Often, the hydrosphere refers only to the oceans and seas.

Big encyclopedic Dictionary. 2000

Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

HYDROSPHERE, -s, wives. (specialist.). The totality of all the waters of the globe: oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, swamps, groundwater, glaciers and snow cover.
| adj. hydrospheric, th, th.

Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949-1992

Beginnings of modern natural science

Hydrosphere (from hydro and sphere) - one of the geospheres, the water shell of the Earth, the habitat of hydrobionts, the totality of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, swamps, groundwater, glaciers and snow cover. The bulk of the water in the hydrosphere is concentrated in the seas and oceans (94%), the second place in terms of volume is occupied by groundwater (4%), the third is the ice and snow of the Arctic and Antarctic regions (2%). Surface waters of land, atmospheric and biologically bound waters make up fractions (tenths and thousandths) of a percent of the total volume of water in the hydrosphere. Chemical composition hydrosphere approaches the average composition of sea water. Participating in the complex natural cycle of substances on Earth, water decomposes every 10 million years and is formed again during photosynthesis and respiration.

Beginnings modern natural science. Thesaurus. - Rostov-on-Don. V.N. Savchenko, V.P. Smagin. 2006

Hydrosphere (from Hydro ... and Sphere) - an intermittent water shell of the Earth, located between the atmosphere (See Atmosphere) and the solid earth's crust (lithosphere) and representing the totality of oceans, seas and surface waters of land. In a broader sense, hydrogeology also includes groundwater, ice, and snow in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as atmospheric water and water contained in living organisms. The bulk of the water of Georgia is concentrated in the seas and oceans, the second place in terms of volume of water masses is occupied by groundwater, and the third place is occupied by the ice and snow of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The surface waters of the land, atmospheric, and biologically bound waters make up fractions of a percent of the total water volume of Georgia (see table). The chemical composition of G. approaches the average composition of sea water.

Surface waters, while occupying a relatively small proportion in the total mass of water, nevertheless play a role essential role in the life of our planet, being the main source of water supply, irrigation and irrigation. G.'s waters are in constant interaction with the atmosphere, the earth's crust, and the biosphere. The interaction of these waters and mutual transitions from one type of water to another constitute a complex water cycle on the globe. In G. for the first time life originated on Earth. Only at the beginning of the Paleozoic era did the gradual migration of animal and plant organisms to land begin.

Water types	Name	Volume, million km 3	To the total volume, %
sea ​​waters	Maritime	1370	94
Groundwater (excluding groundwater)	unpaved	61,4	4
Ice and snow	Ice	24,0	2
Fresh surface water sushi	Fresh	0,5	0,4
Atmospheric waters	atmospheric	0,015	0,01
Water contained in living organisms	biological	0,00005	0,0003

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978

For a better understanding, let us briefly formulate what we mean by the Hydrosphere within the framework of this material and within the framework of this site. By the hydrosphere we mean the shell globe, which unites all the waters of the globe, regardless of their condition and location.

In the hydrosphere, there is a continuous circulation of water between its various parts and the transition of water from one state to another - the so-called Water cycle in nature.

Parts of the hydrosphere

The hydrosphere interacts with all geospheres of the Earth. Conventionally, the hydrosphere can be divided into three parts:

1. Water in the atmosphere;
2. Water on the surface of the Earth;
3. The groundwater.

The atmosphere contains 12.4 trillion tons of water in the form of water vapor. Water vapor is renewed 32 times a year or every 11 days. As a result of condensation or sublimation of water vapor on suspended particles present in the atmosphere, clouds or fogs are formed, while a sufficiently large amount of heat is released.

You can familiarize yourself with the waters on the surface of the Earth - the World Ocean in the article "".

Groundwater includes: groundwater, soil moisture, pressure deep waters, gravity water the upper layers of the earth's crust, water in bound states in various rocks, waters found in minerals and juvenile waters ...

Distribution of water in the hydrosphere

• Oceans - 97.47%;
• Ice caps and glaciers - 1,984;
• Groundwater - 0.592%;
• Lakes - 0.007%;
• Wet soils - 0.005%;
• Atmospheric Water vapor - 0.001%;
• Rivers - 0.0001%;
• Biota - 0.0001%.

Scientists have calculated that the mass of the hydrosphere is 1,460,000 trillion tons of water, which, however, is only 0.004% of the total mass of the Earth.

The hydrosphere is actively involved in the geological processes of the Earth. It largely provides the interconnection and interaction between different geospheres of the Earth.