Water Distribution
What percentage of the Earth is covered by water?
Approximately 71%
The land that drains into a body of water. River basins are made up of many of these.
Watershed
This zone is very tough for organisms to live in due to the changing salinity, depth, predators, and rough waves. Many organisms have to burrow to survive.
Intertidal Zone
This is the type of water that is found in estuaries (mix of salt and fresh)
Brackish
These tiny, free-floating organisms form the base of most marine food webs and play a crucial role in supporting life, absorbing carbon dioxide, and producing oxygen.
Phytoplankton
What percentage of water on Earth is salt water?
97%
This is an underground storage area of water that is made up of permeable rock and collected above impermeable rock. This is where many people get their drinking water.
Aquifers
This zone is pitch black and barely above freezing. Many organisms have adaptations to help them hunt food. Others survive on chemicals released from hydrothermal vents.
Abyssal Zone
What are two things that make estuaries great nurseries for many marine species?
Multiple answers: shelter, food, calm
Ocean currents are driven by these two main factors.
Temperature and salinity
What percentage of water on Earth is fresh water?
3%
The entire area that is drained by a river
River basin
What happens to the surface zones during upwelling?
The coast of North Carolina has estuaries primarily lined with what type of vegetation that help with flooding, stabilizing the shoreline, and reducing pollution?
Salt Marsh Grasses
This is when cold, nutrient rich water is brought to the surface and creates a productive feeding area for organisms.
Upwelling
What percentage of fresh water is frozen?
2%
How does large pore space impact ground water amounts?
Large pores = MORE groundwater
The area where rivers meet the ocean is called an estuary. This is salt and fresh water mixed. Which type would be closer to the surface?
Fresh
Which natural feature protects inland bodies of water from contamination by salt water?
Estuaries
What would happen to water that is colder and higher in salinity (more dense)
Cold, dense water would sink
What percentage of water on Earth is usable by humans?
Less than 1%
Water travels downhill over land into small streams, then into large rivers, and finally into the ocean. What does this describe the movement of water in?
River Basin
What would increase the salinity of the water?
Evaporation, Freezing
Which best describes the water found in an estuary? (Include depth, temp, and type)
Shallow, warm, brackish
In which location would fishermen most likely catch a greater number of fish?
Upwelling