Part Two II › Division II II › Section 222 222

The Hydrosphere: the Oceans, Freshwater Bodies, and Ice Masses

Subject Outline

AThe distribution of water in the hydrosphere
- 1Saltwater bodies
  - aOceans and marginal seas
  - bGulfs and bays
- 2Freshwater bodies
  - aRivers, lakes, and marginal bodies such as estuaries and swamps [see 232.C.1., 2., and 3.]
  - bGroundwater contained within the pores of rocks
- 3Ice
  - aIce sheets and glaciers [see also 212.G.5.and 232.C.6.]
  - bIcebergs and pack ice
  - cRiver ice and lake ice
- 4Water in the biosphere [see 351]
BThe physical and chemical properties of seawater [see also 241.C.]
CThe physical and chemical properties of freshwater
DThe hydrologic cycle
- 1The general nature of the hydrologic cycle: the types of processes involved and their complex interaction, scales of magnitude of the interrelated components of the global hydrologic system, influences of climate and other factors
- 2The roles of evaporation and transpiration in the hydrologic cycle [see also 336.B.4.]
- 3The role of water vapour in the hydrologic cycle: condensation, precipitation [see also 223.A. and E.1.e.]
- 4Runoff and subsurface water in the hydrologic cycle [see also 232.A.4.]
- 5The role of ice in the hydrologic cycle [see also A.3., above]
- 6Water resources and supply [see also 737.A.1.]
EOcean-atmosphere interactions
- 1Radiation, heat, and water budgets
- 2Oceanic waters as an important sink for carbon dioxide
- 3Impact of ocean-atmosphere interactions on climate and weather
  - aLink between ocean surface temperature and climate anomalies
  - bEl Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
  - cModerating effects of the Gulf Stream system on climate
FEffects of human activities on the hydrosphere; e.g., cultural eutrophication; acidification of precipitation resulting from the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides; potential disruption of the water balance due to greenhouse warming induced by carbon dioxide buildup
GWaves in the hydrosphere [see also 126.F., 128.A., and 232]
- 1Surface waves: simple waves, ocean waves, tsunamis
- 2Internal waves
- 3Tides [see also 133.E.7.C.]
HOcean currents
- 1The distribution of ocean currents
- 2The forces that cause and affect ocean currents: pressure gradients, Coriolis force, frictional forces [see also 211.A.2.a.]
- 3The general surface circulation
- 4Subsurface ocean currents
  - aThe general deep-sea circulation
  - bTidal currents: periodic currents associated with tides in the sea