Hydrosphere Definition

The set of water found on the planet is considered, in terms of geology and earth sciences, as the hydrosphere. From viruses to the largest mammals, all depend in one way or another on this blue natural resource to survive, therefore the importance of the hydrosphere is based on the possibility of the existence of life in its various forms, acting as a generator, which, in its absence, would not be possible.

Also, in evolutionary terms, the hydrosphere has played a transcendental role, offering both the possibility of a medium from which to obtain various stimuli responsible for changes, as well as obtaining all the other elements necessary for the development of complete ecosystems that would allow the creation and development of ecological dynamics between species, with the consequent migration of some towards the conquest of the terrestrial surface and later of the air.

Approximately 75% of the composition of the vast majority of living beings is water, an amount that is proportional to the volume of the hydrosphere itself with respect to the surface of the earth that can be visible from space, so it is not It is surprising the relevance that water itself has for life, considering it one of the most abundant resources available on our planet.

Surface water

Rivers, lagoons, lakes, seas and oceans are the visible face of our planet’s hydrosphere, in which all kinds of life forms develop, although most have not yet been even discovered due to the great depths that do not allow human access to evidence them.

Exposure to the sun’s rays by the water available on the earth’s surface, allows its heating and consequent evaporation, thereby generating the much-needed humidity in the atmosphere for the development of life in other terrestrial regions, through of what is known as the water cycle, through which this vital resource can reach territories that without the rains would be completely devoid of water masses, as occurs with the great deserts and even the mountains themselves.

groundwater

Under the soil we can find a large amount of water, fresh, brackish and even salty like the sea, and even with its own and extreme chemical compositions due to the mineral loads of the deepest layers of the soil, which are usually the perfect environment. for the survival of microorganisms known as extremophiles.

Some groundwater manages to find an outlet to the surface, in the form of noble springs that give way to streams, or even as magnificent emanations of great force such as geysers, however, not all groundwater is easily detectable, requiring either ancestral techniques such as dowsing or some type of scanner that allows to establish the points in which it accumulates, relying on the use of pumps through wells to be able to use them in the communities.

reverse pollution

There is an incredibly wide range of elements and debris with which humanity has negatively impacted the hydrosphere. Among the most dangerous and dispersed contaminants in all waters as a consequence of this are: 1) heavy metals, such as lead and mercury; 2) plastic waste of all kinds, containers and wrappers; 3) remains of composite manufacturing products such as household appliances and other electrical appliances; 4) nuclear waste and radioactive materials; 5) residual organophosphate and organochlorine substances from extensive crops; 6) various chemical substances for domestic and industrial use; 7) oil spills and products derived from its industry; 8) any other human-made organic and inorganic waste.

The great diversity in nature of these polluting elements is one of the reasons that makes water decontamination so difficult, coupled with the fact of the increase in the production of waste, due to the growth of the human population and hyper-production systems. and consumerism, which have led to the rapid discarding of most of the things acquired, added to the few policies and regulations directed towards a correct collection and processing of this waste, with which to be able, at least, to establish controls over the amount and types of contaminants that reach the hydrosphere, while this will be a priority task for these and future generations in order to preserve the quality of the waters and the life that develops in them.

References

Alcalá-Quesada, F. (2016). Earth’s hydrosphere. Jaen University. Spain.

Macedo Trejo, EE (2018). The hydrosphere. National university of Trujillo. Peru.

Manrique, LEG (2007). The hydrosphere: a threatened frontier. Foreign economy: studies of the Foreign Policy magazine on the internationalization of the Spanish economy, (41), 85-96. Spain.

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