The significance of water
Every for of life on Earth relies on water and we need water for almost all our bodily functions: the blood that flows through the body is part water; food cannot be swallowed or digested with out water; plants need water to draw up dissolved minerals from the soil; without water they cannot make their food through photosynthesis.
That's all water
Water can be three states: solid ice, liquid or invisible gas or water vapor that forms clouds. Water covers over 70 percent of the Earth, filling different water bodies. Less than 3 percent frozen in glaciers and in ice in the polar regions.
How did water first appear on earth? No one is sure. However, one thing is certain: water is essential to the survival of all living beings.
Where did water first come from?
Some scientists believe water (a chemical combination of hydrogen and oxygen denoted by the formula H 2 O) formed when the earth was cooling down and trapped gases were released. Others believe oceans formed when asteroids containing water hit earth. Still others believe chemical compounds broke down and formed water. Water contains dissolved minerals and gases .
- Water goes around in a water cycle: water vapor gets together to form clouds that drop as rain, snow, hail or sleet. This water fills oceans, caps glaciers or runs underground.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
Water, in it's liquid form, is found in different waterbodies. There are many types of water bodies in this world, including oceans, seas, lakes and rivers.
They're the largest
Over 70 per cent of the Earth's surface is covered by seas and oceans. Although we have given different names to the oceans, they are also recognized of one body as water that scientists call the World Ocean. This World Ocean is one flow of water that is divided into smaller bodies including the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Southern Ocean, around Antarctica.
FACT: The Pacific Ocean is the largest waterbody on Earth.
Seas, bays and saltwater lakes
A sea is a smaller ocean. Most seas, like the Bering Sea, flow into an ocean. Some, like the Caspian Sea, are saltwater lakes. Indeed, the Caspian is the largest lake in the world.
A bay is water that is partly open to the sea and partly surrounded by land. The Bay of Bengal off the Indian Ocean is the largest bay in the world. Hudson Bay in Canada has the largest shoreline, protected by 7,623 miles (12,268 km) of land.
DID YOU KNOW?
Most of the water on Earth is too salty for us to drink.
Glaciers
A glacier is a large mass of frozen ice that has formed from layers of snow under pressure. Pressure and gravity force the ice along like a slow moving river, carving enormous channels through mountains and rocks. About 75 per cent of fresh water is frozen in glaciers, meaning it would be very dangerous if they were to melt.
FACT: At 4,184 miles (6,695 km) long. The Nile is the world's longest river!
YOU ARE READING
The Earth
Non-FictionDiscover our amazing planet! If you would like to know more about anything about the Earth you may comment down below. "Oh," and just to tell you this is not my information, I am just sharing this information with you, if you don't have this book. I...
