The Hydrosphere

A rain shaft pierces a tropical sunset as seen
from Man-of-War Bay, Tobago, Caribbean Sea . Most of the water
evaporated from the ocean is directly returned by precipitation.
Courtesy NOAA

Water is a critical element that sustains life and drives a variety of environmental processes acting within the Earth system. Though the hydrosphere includes all the water in the earth system, water flows between all the other subsystems of the Earth. In this chapter we'll explore how water is cycled through and its impact on the Earth system.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the chapter you should be able to:

• List the major "stores" of water in the Earth system.
• Construct a simple diagram of the hydrologic cycle and describe each of the element.
  Describe the nature of subsurface water.
• Describe the nature of surface water.
• Draw and label a diagram that illustrates the conditions that create aquifers and springs.
• Draw and label the elements of a stream hydrograph.
• Construct a diagram of, and calculate a soil water budget

You may view a list of chapter topics by clicking the "Topic Outline" link or go directly to the first topic by clicking "Continue".

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