Hydrosphere Basics

What we'll explore in this module

In this module, we will review the basics of the hydrosphere, or all of Earth's waters. We'll discuss the hydrologic cycle - how water constantly cycles through Earth's environment, including the atmosphere and lithosphere (Earth's crust) - then discuss the role water and the hydrologic cycle play in producing Earth's weather.

What is the Hydrosphere?

The hydrosphere is all of Earth's waters that collectively exist in the atmosphere, on Earth's surface, and in the crust near Earth's surface. Water in the hydrosphere exists in three states: liquid, solid (ice), and gaseous (water vapor). The portion of Earth's hydrosphere that is frozen (i.e. ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, ice shelves, sea ice, etc.) is known as the cryosphere.

Earth's hydrosphere contains all of the water that exists on Earth in gaseous, liquid, and solid states. This includes water in the atmosphere as water vapor (e.g. clouds); on the surface in water bodies (e.g. oceans, streams, lakes) and as ice, and in Earth's crust (e.g. aquifers).

The science and study of water and its global circulation, distribution, and properties is known as hydrology. As a field, hydrology typically focuses on water at or below Earth's surface. The study of water in the atmosphere, and particularly the role it plays in Earth's weather, more typically falls under the purview of atmospheric science and meteorology. Atmospheric science is the study of Earth's atmosphere and its many interrelated processes and systems. Meteorology is a subfield of atmospheric science, which incorporates chemistry and physics to understand the movement and patterns of weather systems.