HSEA 010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Soil, Capillary Action, Cryosphere
28 Jul 2020
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Document Summary
The hydrosphere or hydrosphere encompasses all the water on our planet; it includes surface water, water that is underground and water that circulates in the air as water vapor. The hydrosphere of a planet can be liquid, in the form of steam or ice. On earth, liquid water is found on the surface forming oceans, lakes, and rivers, but it also exists underground as groundwater, wells, and aquifers. Water vapor accumulates in the form of clouds and fog, while ice or frozen parts of the earth"s hydrosphere are seen as glaciers, icebergs, and ice sheets. Oceanic waters and water trapped in the pores of sedimentary rocks in the crust make up the majority of earth"s hydrosphere. The total mass of water in the oceans is equivalent to approximately 5% of the mass of the. Today, more than 2% of earth"s water is in the form of ice. Earth"s waters are not pure h2o, but contain dissolved and particulate materials.
