Problems in the Hydrosphere

• Hydrosphere


  The total amount of water on the planet, including water that is on the surface, underground, and in the air
• Earth's water

  • Can be liquid, vapor, or ice, found in lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and watersheds (surface water)
• River systems


  Streams combine to form rivers, which create a flowing network across land
• Watershed


  Area of land drained by a river
• Cryosphere


  Frozen part of the hydrosphere, including glaciers, ice caps, and icebergs
• Water cycle

  Water evaporates, forms clouds, falls as rain or snow, collects in rivers, lakes, and oceans, then evaporates again
• Groundwater


  Water stored beneath Earth's surface in sediment and rock formations, with a water table defining its upper boundary
• Water table


  Level where rocks and soil are saturated with water, fluctuating with peaks and valleys
• Aquifer


  Underground formation containing groundwater, with permeable materials like rock, sand, and gravel that hold water
• Recharge zone


  Area where water percolates down into the aquifer, environmentally sensitive due to pollution risks
• Aquifer permeability


  Structures like buildings and parking lots can reduce water entering the aquifer
• What is the recharge time of aquifers?

  tens of thousands of years
• Wells


  Holes dug or drilled to reach groundwater, extending below the fluctuating water table
• Seasonal changes

  Water table height varies seasonally, impacting well availability
• Drought impact

  Droughts can cause wells to dry up if the water table falls below the well bottom
• Water pollution


  Introduction of chemical, physical, or biological agents degrading water quality and harming dependent organisms
• Point-source pollution


  Pollution from identifiable single sources like factories or leaking oil tankers
• Nonpoint-source pollution


  Pollution from various hard-to-identify sources like runoff from farms or roads within a watershed
• Main sources of artificial/cultural eutrophication

  • Fertilizers from farms, lawns, and gardens
  • Phosphates in laundry and dishwashing detergents
• Consequences of artificial/cultural eutrophication

  • Excessive algae growth, forming algal blooms
  • Decomposition of algae depletes oxygen, suffocating fish and other organisms
• Thermal pollution


  Temperature increase in water bodies like lakes or streams
• Sources of thermal pollution

  Industries and power plants using water in cooling systems
• Effects of thermal pollution

  • Large fish kills if discharged water is too warm
  • Reduction in water's oxygen-holding capacity as temperature rises
  • Oxygen levels drop, suffocating aquatic organisms
  • Constant warm water flow can disrupt aquatic ecosystems
• Ocean acidification


  High rate of carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption into seawater
• Ocean acidification process

  1. CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid

  2. Carbonic acid breaks down into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions

  3. Increase in hydrogen ions lowers pH, acidifying the ocean
• Effect of ocean acidification on marine calcification

  1. CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3)

  2. Carbonic acid breaks down into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions

  3. Hydrogen ions bond with carbonate ions, reducing their availability
• Impact of reduced carbonate ion availability

  • Marine organisms with shells (mollusks, crustaceans, corals, etc.) need carbonate ions to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3) shells
  • Ocean acidification reduces carbonate ion availability, hindering shell formation
• Species affected by ocean acidification

  • Oysters
  • Clams
  • Sea urchins
  • Corals
  • Calcareous plankton
• Coral bleaching


  Whitening of corals due to loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae or reduction in their photosynthetic pigment concentration
• Causes of coral bleaching

  • Increased sea temperature
  • Solar irradiance
  • Sedimentation
  • Pollution
  • Nutrient runoff
  • Freshwater dilution
  • Disease outbreaks
• DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-08

  Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards of 2016
• Objective of DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-08

  Promote economic growth while protecting and preserving water quality
• Water classification


  Classifies water bodies based on intended beneficial usage, to maintain water quality according to its usage