Importance of Hydrosphere - Definition, Components, FAQs

After reading this article, the reader should be able to answer the following questions-What do you mean by hydrosphere, what is hydrosphere, why is the hydrosphere important.

What is Hydrosphere?

Hydrosphere definition- Hydrosphere is one of the four domains of Earth’s natural environment which comprises all the water resources on Earth’s surface for example- oceans, rivers, sea, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater.

Hydrosphere meaning- the word ‘hydro’ has its origination in the ancient Greek language. The sphere of water present on the earth is called the hydrosphere.

Hydrosphere images showing water cycle-

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Introduction to Earth’s hydrosphere-

Here are some of key points about hydrosphere-

• Earth is the only planet where life is possible because of the availability of life sources such as water, atmosphere, and land. Of all the life sources water is present for over more than 71% of the area. Because of this reason Earth is known as a Blue planet.
• The environment around us comprises biotic as well as abiotic components. Biotic components are all the components that can reflect life processes such as excretion, reproduction. Abiotic components are non-living things. Non-living things have either come to existence due to natural processes or they were constructed by human beings.
  example- mountains, oceans are natural abiotic components of the environment, and plants, animals are the biotic components of the environment.
• Dividing the Earth’s environment into biotic and abiotic components is one way to understand Earth’s Diversity. However, understanding Earth concerning its physical features gives a better insight into the overlap and interaction between biotic and abiotic components of the Earth.
  A large percentage of the Earth’s surface i.e., 71% contains water. This 71% of water is called a hydrosphere. 97% of the water present on the surface of Earth is present in the oceans and is too salty to use. Only 3% of the rest of the water is available as groundwater, running water, ice, glaciers, and water vapor are present in the atmosphere.
• However, water available for usage is a very small percentage for consumption such as drinking, washing, and irrigation. This variety of chemical and energy exchanges takes place in this sphere of the earth. Vital processes such as the water cycle take place in this sphere.
• The hydrosphere is a mutual term representing all the water bodies on earth such as oceans, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, glaciers, and groundwater.
• The lithosphere, Atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere are the four important spheres of Earth.
• The atmosphere is the gaseous envelope around us where oxygen, nitrogen, carbon- dioxide is found together.
• The lithosphere is the solid portion of the earth, where we live.
• The hydrosphere includes all the water found on Earth, and the biosphere is the sphere that consists of organisms through which life is sustained. The biosphere is a combined term representing all the life around us.

Components of Hydrosphere-

A hydrosphere is not a uniform sphere spread across the Earth’s surface. The hydrosphere is constituted of discontinuous and irregular water sources in any shape or form. Hydrosphere examples are all the water sources in any shape or form like oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater, glaciers, ice, etc.

97% of the water is stored in oceans but only 3% of water is freshwater. Out of 3% freshwater about three- quarters water is stored as glaciers and ice which is not directly available to us. Glaciers are the largest reservoir of fresh water on earth.

Water can be stored in the form of solid, liquid, and gaseous. Water gets distributed around the planet by undergoing a water cycle.

Water can be stored as underground water or glaciers.

These are the few features of hydrosphere.

Read more : NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 15 - Air Around Us

Importance of Hydrosphere-

• Water Cycle- The water cycle also known as the hydrologic cycle is important because if it wasn’t for the water cycle, water would not be available for living organisms.
• The water cycle helps in the exchange of various minerals. This natural water recycling makes the availability of clean fresh water possible for all the flora and fauna.
• Although uneven, the water cycle distributes water over the Earth’s surface.
• The water cycle supports the ecosystem. The growth of many crops is directly dependent on rainfall, without water these plants and crops would not survive. Organisms depending on these crops for survival would not be able to sustain either. In this way, water manages to develop a healthy ecosystem around us.
• Evaporation helps in lowering the overall temperature of the planet. Cooling produced during evaporation brings a lowering in the temperature which would have otherwise led to an increase in the greenhouse effect and global warming.
• Recycled water may contain nutrients, minerals, pathogens, or sediment which reach us through the four processes of the water cycle i.e., evaporation, condensation, etc.
• Of all the spheres, the hydrosphere sustains the life of the biosphere.

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