EARTH'S WATERS

CASSEY IRISH BOCO

CHARMELLE KAYE CABUS
11-SPC
E A RT H ' S WAT E R B U D G E T I S K N O W N A S T H E T O TA L A M O U N T O F
WAT E R I N T H E P L A N E T, A N D I T G E N E R A L LY R E M A I N S C O N S TA N T
T H R O U G H T I M E . WAT E R M O V E S A N D G H A N G E S I N F O R M B U T I S
N E I T H E R C R E AT E D N O R D E S T R O Y E D . O N LY A V E RY S M A L L
P E R C E N TA G E I S A D D E D T O T H E H Y D R O L O G I C S Y S T E M B Y V O L C A N I C
E R U P T I O N S A N D M E T E O R S F R O M S PA C E . M O S T O F T H E WAT E R O N
E A RT H G AV E B E E N C Y C L I N G T H R O U G H T H E H Y D R O L O G I C S Y S T E M
FOR BILLION OF YEARS.

T H E U N I T E D N AT I O N S W O R L D WAT E R D E V E L O P M E N T 2 0 0 5 R E P O RT
C H A R A C T E R I Z E D T H E A M O U N T O F WAT E R I N T H E D I F F E R E N T
R E S E RV O I R S . T H E L A R G E S T R E S E RV O I R I S T H E O C E A N T H AT
C O N TA I N S A B O U T 9 7 . 9 % O F E A RT H ' S T O TA L WAT E R , W H I C H I S
M O S T LY S A L I N E WAT E R . F R E S H WAT E R H A S O N LY 2 . 5 % O F E A RT H ' S
T O TA L WAT E R , I T I S F O U N D I N G L A C I E R S ( 6 8 . 7 % ) , G R O U N D WAT E R
( 3 0 . 1 % ) , P E R M A F R O S T ( 0 . 8 % ) , S U R FA C E WAT E R , A N D AT H M O S P H E R I C
WAT E R . T H E S U R FA C E WAT E R I N R I V E R S , L A K E S , S WA M P S , S O I L
M O I S T U R E L I V I N G T H I N G S , AT H M O S P H E R I C WAT E R I N VA P O R ,
G R O U N D I C E , A N D P E R M A F R O S T, C O N S T I T U T E O N LY A B O U T 0 . 4 % O F
T H E T O TA L F R E S H WAT E R S U P P LY O R L E S S T H A N 0 . 0 2 % O F T H E
T O TA L WAT E R O N E A RT H .

T H E R E S I D E N C E T I M E I S T H E AV E R A G E L E N G T H O F T I M E S P E N T
B Y WAT E R M O L E C U L E I N A R E S E RV O I R . I N L A R G E R E S E RV O I R ,
T H E R E S I D E N C E T I M E O F WAT E R I S L O N G E R .
• SALTWATER RESERVOIRS

• FRESHWATER RESERVOIRS

• SURFACE WATER RESERVOIRS

• GROUNDWATER PROFILE

• AQUIFERS, ARTESIAN WELLS, AND SPRINGS

• GROUNDWATER-STREAM RELATIONSHIP
 SALTWATER RESERVOIRS
An ocean is a vast body of saline water. There is only one global or world
ocean and it covers 71% of Earth. it is geographically divided into five
distinct regions and numerous seas, gulfs, bays, and straits. Historically,
the four recognized oceans are the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian
Ocean, Arctic Ocean.
The saltiness of saltwater is called salinity. The major chemical elements
present in seawater are sodium and chlorine ions. Other natural elements
are also present in seawater in very low concentrations. The salinity of
seawater varies from 33 to 37 parts per thousand. When it is evaporated,
three quarters of the dissolved material is comprised of NaCI (common
salt). The principal sources of the elements dissolved in seawater are
weathering and volcanic eruptions. Weathering, or the in-situ
disintegration of geologic materials, releases soluble materials such as
sodium, potassium, and sulfur. These materials are carried by streams into
the sea. Volcanic eruptions, both on land and submarine, contribute
compounds through volcanic gasses and hot springs
The salinity of seawater is maintained within a narrow range by the
processes in the hydrologic cycle. Evaporation removes water,
making the solution saltier. Precipitation adds water, causing dilution.
Inflow from river and groundwater also makes the sea less salty. As
sea water freezes, salt is excluded because of its structure, making the
unfrozen seawater saltier.
There are three major zones in the ocean. The surface layer, which
consists of relatively warm, low-density water, extends from the
ocean surface to a depth of 100 m. This layer is only about 2% of the
water in the ocean but it is the home of the most marine plants and
animals. The second layer is called thermocline, where the
temperature of water decreases rapidly with depth. At high latitudes,
thermocline reaches the surface and extends up to 1500 m. Below the
thermocline is the deep zone where the temperature is uniformly low.
Eighty percent of the water in the ocean is the deep zone.
The waters in the different layers of the ocean are
constantly moving. The surface of the ocean is affected The ocean is the most valuable resource on the planet.
by currents caused by prevailing winds. The air Aside from providing the voluminous marine food
blowing on the surface drags the water forward, resources, it is also used in transportation and recreation.
creating slow, broad drifts confined at the depth 50 to More importantly, it plays a vital role in regulating the
100 m. The surface ocean currents flow clockwise in climate through its interaction with the atmosphere. It
the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the absorbs and circulate heat, water, and carbon dioxide
southern hemisphere. In the deep zone, there is a which are vital in the many chemical cycles on earth.
thermobaline circulation driven by density differences,
which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and
salinity (haline). This circulation is propelled by the
sinking of cold, salty, and dense water in the Polar
Regions, and rising of the warm, less salty water of the
Tropics.
FRESHWATER RESERVOIRS
Most freshwater on Earth is restored in glaciers
situated in inaccessible areas such as the Polar Region
and high mountains. The readily available freshwater
sources are the surface water reservoir and
groundwater reservoir.
 GLACIERS AND ICE SHEETS
A glacier is a permanent body of ice, which consists
largely of recrystallized snow.
An Ice sheet is a mass of glacial land ice extending more
than 50,000 km². There are currently ice sheets covering
most of Greenland and Antartica. During the last ice age,
ice sheets also extended to North America and
Scandinavia.
The freshwater stores in glaciers and ice sheets are
estimated to exceed 24 million km³. Almost 90% is
concentrated in Antarctica while the rest is found in
Greenland and in mountain glaciers. Glaciers and Ice
sheets influence global climate and the hydrologic cycle
Permafrost
A soil, rock, and sediment that is frozen for
more than two consecutive years is called
Permafrost. The frozen ground varies in thickness
from a few meters to about 150 meters. The upper
30cm to 100cm is soil thaws during summer and
refreezes during winter. Most of the permafrost is
found in Polar Regions, although they may exist in
high-altitude regions. The total water is stores as
underground ice in a permafrost is estimated to be
300 000km³. It comprises about 0.8% of the total
freshwater resource.
SURFACE WATER RESERVOIR
Surface water include the streams, lakes, and wetlands where water from
rainfall, melting snow and ice, and groundwater flows. They represent 0.3% of
Earth's total water resource. This resource is harnessed for irrigation,
recreation, transport, fishing, drinking, and hydropower.
 STREAM
A stream is a moving body of surface water that flows downslope toward sea level because of gravity. It
has clearly defined passageway called channels where particles and dissolved substances are transported.
A river is a stream with a considerable volume and a well-defined channel. Streams are interconnected
and formed a tree-shaped network of small streams, making up the branches and joined to a large
mainstream or river, which comprise the trunk. The smaller streams are called tributaries. The land area in
which the water flow into a particular stream is called drainage basin or watershed. The line that separates
individual drainage basin is called drainage divide. The narrow, elongated landform separating individual
streams within a basin is called interfluve. During a heavy rain, water moves downhill in a process called
overland flow. After a short distance, the water enters the channels and becomes streamflow. Rivers
contribute about 1.6% of the total surface and athmospheric water. The total volume of water stored in
streams is estimated at about 2120km³
 LAKES
are a large inland bodies of fresh saline water. Its upper surface is exposed to the atmosphere
and is essentially flat.
Ponds are small and shallow lakes, while Dams are barriers constructed along streams to
contain the flow of water. Water in the lakes came from streams, overland flow, and
groundwater, and it exits from lakes through outlet streams or by evaporation and infiltration
into the ground.
Lakes store 67% of the total surface and atmosphere water. This is a very tiny percentage of
Earths waater but it is an extremely important water resource. Depending on their size, lakes
could also be used as transportation routes.
 WETLANDS
Land areas where water covers the surface for significant period referred to
• Estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water
as wetlands. They vary in size from relatively large in flat areas to small
where freshwater from stream meets the saltwater
steep areas. Wetlands are biologically diverse environment filled with
from the sea. It is home to many organisms that can
species that rely both on land and water for survival, it constitutes about
tolerate the large sharp changes in salinity due to the
8.5% of the total land suface and atmospheric water. The largest wetland
constant change of salt content.
in the Philippines is in LIgawasan Marsh.

Types of Wetlands: Wetlands harbor great biological diversity. It is an

• Marsh is a shallow wetland around lakes, streams, and oceans
where grasses and reeds are the dominant vegetation.
• Swamp is a wetland with lush trees and vegetation found in low-
lying areas beside slow moving rivers; oxygen in the water is
typically low and swamp plants and animals are adapted to these
low-oxygen conditions.
important breeding ground for fish and invertebrates. Its
ability to trap water serves as a sponge that slows down
stream flow and minimizes floods, erosions, and
sedimentation. Water trapped in the wetlands are also able
to seep into the ground and replenish the groundwater. As
a sponge, it also traps pollutants that could otherwise flow
to other bodies of water.
FLOODS
A flood is a natural event wherein an
area that is usually dry is submerged
under water. It usually occurs when
the rate of precipitation is higher than
the rate in which it could be absorbed
by the ground or carried by the
streams. It occurs at irregular intervals
and varies in size, duration, and extent
of affected area. Vegetation plays an
important role in reducing flood
intensity. plants can slow down the
overland flow, giving it enough time
for water to infiltrate the ground.
• Fluvial or riverine flood occurs when a
stream's discharge is greater than the
capacity of the channel, causing the stream
to overflow.
• Flashfloods are characterized by intense,
high-velocity torrent of water that occurs
in an existing river channel with little to
no notice.
• Coastal flooding occurs when water
overwhelms in low-lying areas along the
coasts, usually due to severe weather
conditions.
• Pluvial or surface water flood occurs when
heavy rainfall creates a flood event
independent of an overflowing stream.
GROUNDWATER PROFILE
When a well is excavated in the ground, the first layer
encountered is the moist soil layer on the surface.
Beneath this is a zone in which the spaces between the
particles are filled mainly with air. This is called the
zone of aeration or unsaturated zone. The layer
beneath the zone of aeration is the zone of saturation.
In this layer, the spaces between the particles are filled
with water.
The boundary between the zone of aeration and zone
of saturation is the water table. Directly above the
water table is called capillary fringe, wherein
groundwater seeps up to fill the pore spaces in the
zone of aeration by capillary action. The shape of the
water table resembles the topography---- it is high
beneath hills and low beneath valleys
AQUIFERS, ARTESIAN WELLS, AND SPRINGS
A reliable groundwater supply can be obtained from aquifers with good porosity and
permeability such as coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rocks. An aquifer in which the
groundwater is free to rise up its natural level is called unconfined aquifer. In a confined
aquifer, the water is trapped and held down by pressure between impermeable rocks called
aquiclude. Water could rise in this well without pumping if the well is located at an
elevation which is below the recharge zone of the confined aquifer, is called the artesian
well. The land area where water enters the ground and replenish the groundwater is called
the recharge zone. The recharge zone is only limited in areas where the aquifer is exposed
to the surface. The discharge zone is the area where the groundwater flows out of the
aquifer and onto land surface or even submarine environment.
 When groundwater emerges to the
ground surface, it creates spring.
Spring occurs usually in places where
there is a decrease in permeability of
underlying material, such as presence
of an aquiclude below an aquifer
GROUNDWATER-STREAM
RELATIONSHIP
There is an interaction between groundwater flow and stream flow. There are streams
that lose water downstream and dry up. Losing or influent stream is a type of stream
where water flows underground and contribute to the groundwater. In contrast, there
are also streamsthat are fed by groundwater. This stream is referred to as gaining or
effluent stream.