hydrosphere

n.

1. The waters of the earth's surface as distinguished from those of the lithosphere and the atmosphere.
2. The water vapor in the earth's atmosphere.

hydrospheric hy'dro·spher'ic (-sfîr'ĭk, -sfĕr'-) adj.

The water portion of the Earth as distinguished from the solid part and from the gaseous outer envelope (atmosphere). Approximately 74% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, in either the liquid or solid state. These waters, combined with minor contributions from ground waters, constitute the hydrosphere.

The oceans account for about 97% of the weight of the hydrosphere, while the amount of ice reflects the Earth's climate, being higher during periods of glaciation. There is a considerable amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. The circulation of the waters of the hydrosphere results in the weathering of the landmasses. The annual evaporation from the world oceans and from land areas results in an annual precipitation of 320,000km³ (76,000 mi³) on the world oceans and 100,000 km³ (24,000 mi³) on land areas. The rainwater falling on the continents, partly taken up by the ground and partly by the streams, acts as an erosive agent before returning to the seas.

The unique chemical properties of water make it an effective solvent for many gases, salts, and organic compounds. Circulation of water and the dissolved material it contains is a highly dynamic process driven by energy from the Sun and the interior of the Earth. Each component has its own geochemical cycle or pathway through the hydrosphere, reflecting the component's relative abundance, chemical properties, and utilization by organisms. The introduction of materials by humans has significantly altered the composition and environmental properties of many natural waters. See also Ground-water hydrology; Hydrology; Lake.

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All the water on, or close to, the surface of the earth. Some 97% of this water is in the earth's seas and oceans; of the rest, about 75% is in ice-caps and -sheets, about 25% in surface drainage and groundwater, and about 0.03% in the atmosphere.

For more information on hydrosphere, visit Britannica.com.

The portion of Earth, or other planet, that is water, including liquid water, ice, and water vapor on the surface, underground, or in the atmosphere.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - hydrosfære

Nederlands (Dutch)
hydrosfeer

Français (French)
n. - hydrosphère

Deutsch (German)
n. - Hydrosphäre

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - υδρόσφαιρα

Italiano (Italian)
idrosfera

Português (Portuguese)
n. - hidrosfera (f)

Русский (Russian)
гидросфера

Español (Spanish)
n. - hidrosfera

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hydrosfär

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
水圈, 水界, 水气

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 水圈, 水界, 水氣

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 수권

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 水界, 水気

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) المحيط المائي غلاف الارض المائي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מימי פני כדור הארץ, הידרוספרה‬

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