Surface Waters

Surface Waters

Surface waters are studied by hydrology, the science related to the water over the Earth’s surface. Although the oceans are studied also by hydrologists, in this time the focus will be on water bodies that flow over lands. The Hydrologic Cycle is important to these water deposits because it circulates and recycles the liquid. As the oceans contain 97% of the water on the terrestrial surface, the remaining 3% it is found over land, as freshwater, in icebergs, and water steam. This water that can be found in land includes groundwater, freshwater and some deposits of salt water. The pollution and contamination of these water bodies will discuss below.

The water over land flows through streams, rivers, lakes and aquifers that are found within watersheds. A watershed is an area of land on slopes or valleys, which drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet, either by the ground surface or below it. As part of watersheds there are rivers, lakes and reservoirs, wetlands, estuaries and underground waters. Rivers are watercourses moving from a higher altitude to a lower altitude due to gravity, the water comes from precipitation and runoff that arrives to these water bodies. Lakes are where surface water has accumulated in a low place hollow relative to the surrounding countryside, while reservoirs are man made lakes, both can found in a watercourse or outside it. Wetlands are transitional areas between permanently flooded deep waters environments and well-drained uplands, can have freshwater, salt water or brackish water due to closeness to coast and mouth rivers; marsh, swamp and lagoons are examples of wetlands. Related to wetlands are estuaries, regions where freshwater binds from inland to sea water. Groundwater are these that seep throughout ground and are confined under it, examples of this are aquifers. 

   

All of these water bodies are exposed to the actions of humans. Some uses of surface water are: domestic use (water supply to population), agricultural use (crop irrigation), industrial use, generation of hydroelectric energy, recreation and navigation. These activities generate pollution for water. When surface water is not used appropriately, it can harm their use and therefore bring bad consequences to its nature. Most of these contaminants come from industrial and domestic use. The garbage and human waste as well as industrial waste generate pollution that arrives to rivers, lakes and reservoirs; therefore water quality decreases.

Water conservation is vital to humans and their natural environment. To make this, we can be careful with this resource and protect the quantity and quality of this liquid. Another advantage of conservation is the protection and conservation of the different organisms that live in these ecosystems. If each person helps to keep the surface water clean, it contributes to a better quality of life in society. Each water body has their importance to nature and to the society, but they are threatened by human activity, for this reason each person has the responsibility to keep and protect the surface water.  

References:

Information:

http://water.usgs.gov/edu/mearthsw.html

Alonso J., Serie Naturales. (1998). Descubrimiento 9 Ciencia Integrada.         

            Puerto Rico: Ediciones Santillana, Inc.

Pictures:

Luis Espada