Our earth is divided into different spheres that penetrate and complement each other. They are also referred to as the geospheres of the earth. One of these spheres is the hydrosphere. It includes the part of the earth’s surface that is covered with water. What exactly the hydrosphere is and what other spheres there are, you will find out in this summary.
Hydrosphere – definition
The hydrosphere is a partial envelope of the earth’s geosphere. It describes the part of the earth’s surface that is covered with water. This is also called the water reserve.
the hydrosphere is a sphere of the earth. It describes all of the water occurring on earth.
The hydrosphere covers about 75 percent of the earth’s surface and fundamentally influences the climate and the biosphere.
The hydrosphere has an influence on the climate, for example, since in Heat is stored in seas and lakes and distributed across the globe. This causes regional temperature differences. A vivid example of this is the Gulf Stream. He is responsible for the pleasant climate in Europe.
The biosphere, that is All of the part of the earth inhabited by life is from the hydrosphere dependent. Water is essential for life to arise. Accordingly, without the hydrosphere there would be no biosphere.
In addition, the hydrosphere plays an important role in the global carbon cycle and in the water cycle.
If you would like to learn more about the water cycle or water, please have a look at the corresponding explanation! You will learn more about the interaction of the hydrosphere and the carbon cycle in the course of this summary.
geospheres of the earth
In addition to the hydrosphere, there are other spheres on Earth, such as
- the biosphere: the entirety of the part of the earth inhabited by life
- the pedosphere: bottom area, upper thin layer of the earth’s crust
- the lithosphere: up to 100 km thick, solid earth crust
- the atmosphere: gaseous envelope that surrounds the earth
These spheres are also referred to as the geospheres of the earth. Figure 1 shows an overview of the different spheres of the earth. They all influence each other and overlap.
You can find out more about the individual spheres in separate explanations. Simply click on the term that interests you.
hydrosphere – carbon cycle
Under the carbon cycle is understood as the system of chemical conversion of carbonaceous compounds in the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, as well as the exchange of these compounds between the spheres.
In Figure 2 you can see the carbon cycle. It shows which carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere and how it gets back into the ground.
All water, whether in liquid, solid or gaseous form, belongs to the hydrosphere. It includes all surface and subterranean water resources on earth and thus penetrates all other geospheres. The atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and pedosphere are permeated by, or are part of, the hydrosphere.
Hydrosphere – structure
The structure of the hydrosphere differs significantly from the structure of other abiotic geospheres such as the atmosphere or the lithosphere. In contrast to these spheres, the hydrosphere does not form a uniform and earth-encompassing shell, because even oceans and seas are broken up in many places by islands or bordered by continents.
parts of the hydrosphere
The hydrosphere includes the standing and flowing water that occurs, for example, in seas, lakes or rivers. But groundwater and water in the atmosphere also belong to the hydrosphere. This shows us that the hydrosphere describes many different areas of our earth. Therefore, several terms have been established that describe the respective sub-areas of the hydrosphere more precisely. The sub-areas of the hydrosphere are:
The water masses occurring in solid form, such as ice sheets, sea ice, mountain glaciers, permafrost or snow are often treated as a separate sphere and are nevertheless part of the hydrosphere. the cryosphere includes this important part of the hydrosphere.
the Chionosphere describes the snow-covered area of the earth and is part of the cryosphere.
the cryosphere is the entirety of the solid water that occurs, i.e. ice, on earth.
the aquasphere includes the liquid water of the earth.
For water in a gaseous state of aggregation, there is still no separate earth sphere term. The water vapor is therefore referred to as atmospheric water and counts as part of the atmosphere. It is also called humidity.
To find out more about humidity, simply click on the term and you will be taken to the appropriate explanation.
In addition to atmospheric water, terrestrial water vapor also includes water vapor from the soil air.
the oceanosphere describes the waters in and under seas.
The waters on and in the mainland, which therefore also include inland waters, belong to the limnosphere.
In addition, the subsurface area that is completely, partially or temporarily filled with water in the liquid phase can also be counted as part of the lithosphere.
The deep hydrosphere
Another term within the hydrosphere is the deep hydrosphere. It includes parts of the earth’s water that are further below the surface. Within the deep hydrosphere there are two more distinctions:
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the marine deep hydrosphere denotes the deep water layers of the seas.
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the lithic deep hydrosphere includes water in aquiferous layers of rock that are further below the solid surface of the earth.
Hydrosphere – Subdivision
The hydrosphere can therefore be divided into different sub-areas. A distinction is often made according to the condition or occurrence of the water in the hydrosphere.
physical state
Depending on the aggregate state of the water, the hydrosphere of the earth can be divided into three areas. A distinction is made between the cryosphere, which also includes the chionosphere. There water is in a solid state. The aquasphere contains liquid water and the terrestrial water vapor covers the gaseous part of the water.
Solid Liquid GaseousCyrosphere (ice)Chionosphere (snow)Aquasphereterrestrial water vapour
Happen
In addition, the hydrosphere can be differentiated according to location. This is where the tripartite division into oceanosphere, limnosphere and atmospheric water vapor takes place. While the oceanosphere describes the water in seas, the limnosphere covers the water on the mainland and atmospheric water vapor covers the water content in the atmosphere.
seawaterwater on landwater fraction of the atmosphereoceanospherelimnosphereatmospheric water vapour
hydrosphere and other geospheres
As mentioned earlier in the explanation, the hydrosphere intersects the other geospheres. It connects and permeates numerous sections of the earth in different states of aggregation, quantities and in the course of the water cycle.
Water penetrates the solid geosphere in fissures or rock pores. But it can also become part of the rock itself, in the form of crystal water.
crystal wateralso called hydrate water waterwhich occurs bound in crystalline solids.
Water is found in very small amounts in the outermost layer of the atmosphere, the exosphere. Permanently, water can then be found in the lower thermosphere down to the geospheric mesosphere. In Figure 3 you can see the altitude of the thermosphere and the mesosphere.
The interaction between hydrosphere and atmosphere
The interaction between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere is an important one. The water acts as a means of transporting heat, as it releases energy and heat much more slowly than air. This ability allows heat and energy to be transported through water over long distances, enabling the exchange of energy between the higher and lower latitudes.
However, this transport can only take place through winds, since these cause the surface current.
Would you like more information about «wind»? Then take a look at the accompanying explanation.
the the atmosphere and the hydrosphere influence each other.
For example, the Gulf Stream transports warm water to the North Atlantic. This ensures the above-average warm climate in Western Europe.
As can be seen in Figure 4, there is heat exchange between the air and the water. The wind in the atmosphere causes the water masses to move and distributes the absorbed heat over the entire planet.
Figure 4 also shows some aspects of the water cycle. Here you can see a cloud that is formed by evaporation and washes the water back into the sea in the form of precipitation.
Hydrosphere – Effects of climate change
Climate change has significant impacts on all geospheres of the earth. The hydrosphere is also affected by climate change.
Climate change causes general global warming. As a result, the upper water layers of the earth have also warmed up and are thermally expanding as a result. This causes the sea level to rise.
The ice at the poles is also melting, causing sea levels to rise even further. Carbon dioxide pollution causes the oceans to absorb and store even more CO₂.
The oceans absorb a third of the carbon dioxide in the air.
This acidifies the seas. This means that their chemical composition changes. This has serious consequences for many marine life such as mussels, corals and crabs. Climate change is also having a negative impact on the hydrosphere.
You can find out more about climate change and its effects in the associated «Climate Change» statement.
Hydrosphere – meaning
In this declaration you have learned that dhe hydrosphere covers about 75% of the earth’s surface, affects the climate and the biosphere in fundamental ways and plays an important role in the global carbon cycle plays. The hydrosphere is therefore important to the planet and cares – along with the other geospheres – ensure that the processes and procedures on earth work.
Water is necessary for all living beings, because life is not possible without it. The hydrosphere does not exist on other planets in the solar system and for this reason no life can develop. The hydrosphere is therefore of particularly great importance for people and the entire planet Earth.
Hydrosphere – The most important
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The hydrosphere intersects many other geospheres, such as the atmosphere and lithosphere.
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The hydrosphere is part of the geosphere Earthdescribes the with water covered part of the earth’s surface and affects our climate.
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If one subdivides the hydrosphere with regard to the aggregate state of the water, one differentiates between cryosphere, aquasphere and terrestrial water vapour.
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If you divide the…