Linda F. Malanson
(figure available in print form)
The study of water is a very important part of Earth Science. Water is a major architect of our landscape; it is an agent of erosion and essential to weathering both as a solvent and as a transport agent.
Water is vital to all life on Earth. Even the hardiest plants and animals of the desert need some water. Water is a colorless, odorless, tasteless liquid. It is naturally found in three different states: liquid, gas, and solid. The state depends on the water’s temperature.
When water is cooled below its freezing point, it becomes solid. When water is heated, it can evaporate into the air as a gas. When it is above the freezing point and below the boiling point, it is liquid.
Earth is known as the water planet. There is water all around you in the air above you, in the ground below you, and in the oceans. While we speak of four different oceans, they are actually one vast body of water. The oceans contain 97% of the water on our planet.
Water deposits, small and large, are found in the following:
1. Oceans
2. Lakes
3. Icebergs
4. Ponds
5. Streams
6. Rivers
Pictures can be purchased through AIMS Educational Foundation in their
Primarily Earth
book.
(figure available in print form)