hydrosphere
Earth's water totality
The hydrosphere is all the water on Earth's surface—oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, and groundwater.
The term parallels atmosphere and lithosphere, dividing the planet into conceptual spheres.
In environmental science, the hydrosphere interacts with other systems: The hydrosphere and atmosphere exchange moisture through evaporation and precipitation.
Massive saltwater body
- lakeEnclosed body of freshwater
- riverLarge flowing watercourse
- glacierSlow-moving ice mass
- icebergFloating glacial fragment
ice-cap · wetland · swamp · marsh · pond · stream · sea · estuary
Groundwater-bearing geological formation
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
- streamflowRiver water's measured movement
- basinConcave water receptacle
catchment · discharge · runoff · hydrograph · evapotranspiration · permeability · infiltration · limnology
Liquid turning to gas
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- transpirationBotanical water vapor release
- runoffExcess water drainage
infiltration · percolation · sublimation · interception · snowmelt · vaporization · dew · fog
Earth's frozen water systems
- geospherePlanet's solid rocky component
- biogeochemicalLife-geology-chemistry interactions
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- interactionReciprocal action between parties
Water falling from clouds
- droughtProlonged water scarcity
- floodsOverflowing onto dry land
- monsoonsSeasonal wind-driven rains
- hurricanesPowerful tropical rotating windstorms
typhoons · cyclones · sea-level · thermohaline · albedo · feedback · warming · acidification
ocean
Massive saltwater body
iceberg · ice-cap · wetland · swamp · marsh · pond · stream · sea · estuary · lagoon
aquifer
Groundwater-bearing geological formation
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
- streamflowRiver water's measured movement
basin · catchment · discharge · runoff · hydrograph · evapotranspiration · permeability · infiltration · limnology · fluvial
evaporation
Liquid turning to gas
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- transpirationBotanical water vapor release
runoff · infiltration · percolation · sublimation · interception · snowmelt · vaporization · dew · fog · frost
cryosphere
Earth's frozen water systems
- geospherePlanet's solid rocky component
- biogeochemicalLife-geology-chemistry interactions
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
interaction · exchange · boundary · interface · coupling
rainfall
Water falling from clouds
hurricanes · typhoons · cyclones · sea-level · thermohaline · albedo · feedback · warming · acidification · desertification
- Earthearth, Earth, globe, continent, axis
- earth scienceearthquake, geology, volcano, crust, eruption
- Physical Sciencesphysics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, meteorology
- Earth Sciencesgeology, geoscience, earth science, meteorology, oceanography
- Earth systemsgeosphere, cryosphere, ecosystem, water cycle, carbon cycle
- Earth propertiesgravity, magnetism, rotation, mass, density
hydrospherelithosphere
Crust plus upper mantle
atmosphere · geosphere · biosphere · asthenosphere · land mass
hydrospherelithosphere
Crust plus upper mantle
dry land · atmosphere · land · rock · solid ground
sphere, atmosphere, dehydrate, spherical, hydrant, hydrate, hydrated, hydration, biosphere