Hydrosphere
of Planet Earth
These amazing NASA photographs of the Earth allow
us to see the total hydrosphere as one system. These are basic principles in
summary form of the hydrosphere of our planet. All the principles of the
hydrosphere can be seen the NASA photos.
- The hydrosphere is one system of water
- There is a fixed amount of water,
332,000,000 cubic miles of water
- All water in the hydrosphere is in a
state of continual dynamic circulation. Even water in the frozen state
in ice caps and glaciers is in a dynamic state goes through a cycle of
freezing, melting and evaporating. Water molecules in the ice caps
will eventually be found circulating in other areas of the hydrosphere
- The hydrosphere is in constant dynamic
state of solar heating from the Sun which creates evaporation of water
that enters the atmosphere as water vapor. Water vapor will eventual,
form into clouds and eventual return to land in the form of rain an
snow.
- All living systems depend on the
hydrosphere for circulation of water to every region on the Earth and
all living systems are part of the hydrosphere.
- Human beings are part of the hydrosphere
and there are about 66 billion gallons inside the 6.6 billion people
on the planet. Each day 4 billions gallons leaves the body of human
beings and as replaced by 4 billion gallons of water each day. This
represents a flow rate of 4 million gallons of water per minute. We
not only get our drinking water from the hydrosphere, but we are one
with the hydrosphere and totally dependent on the natural behavior of
the hydrosphere.
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