Need to Know # 6 ~ The Hydrosphere and the Hydrologic Cycle
Answer the following questions using the information found in Chapters 10 and 13
(pgs. 257 – 266) of Planet Earth.
- The hydrologic cycle is an example of a(n)…
a)morphological system
b)closed cascading system
c)ecosystem
d)altered system
- The average depth of the earth’s oceans is …
a)1000 m
b)2200 m
c)3800 m
d)11 000 m
- The earth’s oceans contain …
a)97% of the earth’s water
b)71% of the earth’s water
c)65% of the earth’s water
d)50% of the earth’s water
- The earth’s oceans cover …
a)97% of the earth’s surface
b)71% of the earth’s surface
c)65% of the earth’s surface
d)50% of the earth’s surface
- The average salinity of sea water is …
a)25%
b)10%
c)5%
d)3.5%
- How much of the earth’s fresh water is frozen in glaciers and ice sheets?
a)77%
b)65%
c)58%
d)5%
7. The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets reaches depths of …
a) 3 km
b) 2 km
c) 1 km
d) 500 m
8. The Ross ice shelf is the world’s largest ice shelf. It is located in…
a) Greenland
b) Antarctica
c) Canada
d) Congo
9. The three (3) longest rivers in the world are …
a) Mississippi, Yangtze, Amazon
b) Congo, Plato, Orinoco
c) Nile, Amazon, Mississippi
d) Nile, Amazon, Congo
10. The longest river in Canada is …
a) Nipigon
b) Yukon
c) St. Lawrence
d) Mackenzie
11. The largest lake in the world by surface area is …
a) Lake Superior
b) LakeBaikal
c) Lake Nipigon
d) Lake Tanganyika
12. Using absolute amounts, which country has the most available fresh water in the
world?
a) Canada
b) Russia
c) United States
d) Brazil
13. When erosion occurs as a result of rock fragments in the water rubbing, scouring and
scraping the rock or soil surfaces it is referred to as …
a) Hydraulic Pressure
b) Attrition
c) Abrasion
d) Corrosion
14. When erosion occurs as a result of the high pressure that rapidly flowing water exerts
on rock surfaces it is referred to as …
a) Hydraulic Pressure
b) Attrition
c) Abrasion
d) Corrosion
15. When the sediment load is transported within the stream water by turbulent flow it is
referred to as …
a) traction
b) saltation
c) solution
d) suspension
16. When sediments are bounced along the bed of the stream by the flow of the stream it
is referred to as …
a) traction
b) saltation
c) solution
d) suspension
17. The river you are studying has a wide flood plain that is marked with large meander
curves, oxbow lakes and well-developed natural levees. The Geographical Cycle
that this river is in is …
a) youth
b) maturity
c) old age
d) rejuvenated
18. The river you are studying is turbulent and its path is irregular, as large rocks,
boulders and other obstructions occupy the stream bed. The Geographical Cycle
that this river is in is …
a) youth
b) maturity
c) old age
d) rejuvenated
Column A / Column B____ hydrosphere
____ hydrologic cycle
____ salinity
____ ice shelf
____ aquifers
____ groundwater
____ drainage basin (watershed)
____ perennial streams
____ intermittent streams
____ ephemeral streams
____ alluvium
____ meanders
____ oxbow lakes
____ flood plains
____ levees
____ deltas / 1. the total weight of dissolved salts in a
fluid
2. water that is found beneath the surface
of the earth
3. the movement of water through the
water cycle
4. areas beneath the earth’s surface in
which fresh water is stored in layers of
porous and permeable rock
5. the part of our planet where water, in its
various forms, is found
6. large mass of ice, part of which is
anchored to land and part of which is
floating
7. stream that contains water for most of, or all of, the year
8. sediments such as sands, clays, silts and
gravels that are deposited by rivers
9. level, gently sloping plains along the
banks of streams that are subject to
flooding
10. level areas of alluvial deposits formed
at the mouths of rivers
11. area of land from which a stream gets
its water supply
12. broad, curving bends in streams
13. streams that flow only rarely and are
found in desert regions
14. crescent-shaped lake formed when a
stream cuts the narrow end of a
meander
15. deposits of sediments along the main
channels of rivers
16. streams that flow only part of the year
Diagram
1. Draw and label a simple diagram of the hydrologic cycle.
Short Answer
1. In your own words explain why the hydrologic cycle is considered to be a closed
cascading system.
2. Why is the abundant life of the ocean’s ecosystems concentrated in the continental
shelf and slope areas along the edges of land masses?
3. Explain why even the largest lakes have fresh water, while all the oceans have salt
water.
4. Identify and explain three (3) ways that humans have altered the hydrologic cycle.
5. Explain how each of the following terms can be used to describe a river:
a)sculptor
b)church
c)chauffeur
d)playground
e)battery
6. a) Should people be allowed to construct homes and other buildings on stream flood
plains? Explain your answer.
b) Identify some appropriate land uses for flood plains?