Overview of Earth's Hydrosphere

Another amazing feature of the earth is its hydrosphere. “Hydrosphere” is defined as “the sum of all water on a planet” (Wile 106). God has perfectly designed the earth so that most of the water on the earth exists in liquid form (Wile 106). Without water being liquid, life could not exist as it does now. There are many water sources in the hydrosphere. These water sources interact with each other. Some fascinating parts of Earth's hydrosphere is the hydrologic cycle, Earth's various water sources, and water pollution.

Earth's different sources of water interact with each other in a process called the hydrologic cycle (Wile 107). This word is defined as “the process by which water is continually exchanged between earth's various water sources” (Wile 107). The hydrologic cycle starts with water entering the atmosphere by either evaporation or transpiration (Wile 108). “Transpiration” is “evaporation of water from plants” (Wile 108). Evaporation takes water from oceans, lakes, and rivers, while transpiration takes water from soil moisture (Wile 108). Soil moisture can also enter lakes, rivers, and oceans by groundwater flow (Wile 108). When water enters the atmosphere, it forms clouds by a process called condensation (Wile 108). “Condensation” is “the process by which a gas turns into a liquid” (Wile 109). After the water has formed clouds, it falls as precipitation (Wile 109). “Precipitation” is “water falling from the atmosphere as rain, snow, sleet, or hail” (Wile 109). “In the tropics, rainfall exceeds evaporation” (Manabe, Smagorinsky, Strickler 769). The water can then run into a lake or river via surface runoff (Wile 109). Water can evaporate from an ocean then it can be transferred to a freshwater source by evaporation, con...

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..., rather, they interact with each other all the time. Evaporation, transpiration, and precipitation make up the hydrologic cycle. Water pollution is also huge problem today. This contamination can occur in numerous ways. Water pollution is also very hard to control. Still, the hydrosphere remains as one the most awe-inspiring wonders of the earth.

Works Cited

Manabe, Syukuro, Joseph Smagorinsky, and Robert F. Strickler. "Simulated Climatology of a General Circulation Model with a Hydrologic Cycle." Lib.umn.edu. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Environmental Science Services Administration, Washington, D.C., Dec. 1965. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.

Stille, Darlene R. Water Pollution. Chicago, IL: Childrens Press, 1990. Print. 14 Feb. 2014.

Wile, Jay L. Exploring Creation with Physical Science. Anderson, IN: Apologia Educational Ministries, 2000. Print. 15 Jan. 2014.