Fresh Water and Ice Formation
24 Questions
1 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What percentage of fresh water on Earth is solid?

  • Around 40%
  • Less than 1%
  • More than 90% (correct)
  • Close to 70%

    • Why does salt water require a lower temperature to freeze?

  • Because of its lower boiling point
  • Because of its higher boiling point
  • Because the salt in salt water does not freeze with the water (correct)
  • Because of its higher density

    • What is the primary reason why snow accumulates in mountain regions?

  • Because of high temperatures
  • Because of the low air pressure
  • Because of the high humidity
  • Because the snow that falls never gets a chance to melt (correct)

    • What is the term used to refer to the large ice masses at the poles?

    <p>Polar icecap</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the air spaces in the snow as it becomes compacted?

    <p>They are squeezed out</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the average thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet?

    <p>More than 2 km</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe the floating ice that breaks off from an ice shelf?

    <p>Iceberg</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does ocean water freeze at a lower temperature than fresh water?

    <p>Because of its higher salinity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the reason behind ocean ice becoming frozen fresh water?

    <p>Because the salt in salt water does not freeze with the water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process that leads to the formation of a glacier?

    <p>Compacted snow changing into a solid mass of ice</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to icebergs as they float on the ocean?

    <p>They melt, change shape, roll over, and eventually become part of the ocean water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic that distinguishes an ice sheet from a mountain glacier?

    <p>Scale, with ice sheets being much larger</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do glaciers and ice sheets primarily exist in polar regions and high mountains?

    <p>Because temperatures are below freezing for most of the year, allowing snow to accumulate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the estimated volume of frozen fresh water contained in glaciers and ice sheets?

    <p>More than 40 million km3</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of the salt in ocean water not freezing with the water?

    <p>Ocean ice becomes frozen fresh water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of gravity in the formation and movement of glaciers?

    <p>Gravity influences the slow movement of glaciers down a mountain slope</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the driving force behind the water cycle?

    <p>The Sun's thermal energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a watershed, and how can it be visualized?

    <p>A watershed is an area of land where all the water eventually drains into one main water body, such as a stream, river, wetland, lake, or ocean. It can be visualized as making a small model boat that is unsinkable and could move downstream with a river's current all the way to an ocean.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of high points in the land, such as mountain ridges, in directing water flow?

    <p>They create natural 'divides' that direct where water flows.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name given to the process of water changing states as it moves from Earth's surface into the atmosphere and back to Earth again?

    <p>The water cycle</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do mountain chains or long areas of high land affect the boundaries of major watersheds on the continents?

    <p>They mark the boundaries of major watersheds on the continents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe the boundary that directs where water flows?

    <p>A divide</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many ocean watersheds are there in North America?

    <p>Five</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe the Rocky Mountains in relation to watersheds?

    <p>The Great or Continental Divide</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Solid Water

    • All solid (frozen) water on Earth is fresh water.
    • Ocean water can freeze, but it requires a lower temperature than fresh water to become ice.
    • The average freezing temperature for ocean water is –1.8°C.
    • Because salt in salt water doesn't freeze with the water, all ocean ice becomes frozen fresh water.

    Ice and Snow in Polar Regions and Mountains

    • Most fresh water in polar regions and on top of high mountains exists in a solid state as ice and snow.
    • Glaciers and ice sheets contain more than 40 million km³ of frozen fresh water.

    Mountain Glaciers

    • In mountain regions, temperatures are often below freezing, and snow accumulates over centuries, producing a heavy and thick mass.
    • Over time, the snow in lower layers becomes compacted, squeezing out air spaces, and changes into a solid mass of ice.
    • A glacier is a mass of ice and overlying snow that moves slowly down a mountain slope under gravity.

    Ice Sheets

    • An ice sheet is a large glacier that covers the land.
    • There are only two large ice sheets on Earth, one in Greenland and one in Antarctica.
    • Ice sheets form in the same way as mountain glaciers, but on a much larger scale.
    • The Antarctic ice sheet has an average thickness of more than 2 km.

    Ice Shelves and Icebergs

    • Because ice floats, when an ice sheet reaches the ocean, the ice may float on the water.
    • The floating ice is called an ice shelf.
    • Large sections of an ice shelf that break off are called icebergs.
    • As they float, icebergs melt, change shape, roll over, and eventually become part of the ocean water.

    Solid Water

    • All solid (frozen) water on Earth is fresh water.
    • Ocean water requires a lower temperature to freeze than fresh water, with an average freezing temperature of -1.8°C.
    • Salt in salt water does not freeze with the water, so ocean ice becomes frozen fresh water.

    Glaciers and Ice Sheets

    • Glaciers are formed when snow accumulates over centuries, becomes compacted, and changes into a solid mass of ice.
    • Ice sheets are large glaciers that cover the land, with only two existing on Earth, in Greenland and Antarctica.
    • The Antarctic ice sheet has an average thickness of over 2 km.

    Ice Shelves and Icebergs

    • When an ice sheet reaches the ocean, the ice may float on the water, forming an ice shelf.
    • Large sections of an ice shelf that break off are called icebergs, which melt, change shape, and roll over as they float.

    The Water Cycle

    • The water on Earth is constantly changing state, with at least 5 L of every 100 000 L of Earth's total water cycling into another state every minute.
    • The water cycle is driven by the Sun's thermal energy and involves the processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

    Watersheds

    • A watershed is an area of land where all the water eventually drains into one main water body, such as a stream, river, lake, or ocean.
    • Activities that affect water in one part of the watershed have an effect downstream in the watershed.
    • North America has five ocean watersheds: Arctic, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Hudson Bay, and Pacific.

    Studying That Suits You

    Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

    Quiz Team

    Description

    This quiz covers the properties of fresh water and ocean water, including their freezing temperatures and the formation of ice and snow in polar regions and mountains.

    More Like This

    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Open
    Browser
    Browser