Water the Ultimate Recyclable
Texas Aquatic Science Chapter 2 Video Introduction (Click on arrow above to play video) The earth’s water is one, finite...
Water is Life
Texas Aquatic Science Chapter 1 Video Introduction (Click on arrow above to play video) Water in Texas has properties that...
Water is the Ultimate Recyclable
The hydrologic cycle works like a huge water pump powered by solar energy and gravity. It is a global system, and every molecule of water on Earth travels through it. Because it is a cycle, it has no beginning or end. For three and a half billion years, the Earth’s water has been moving from streams to lakes to oceans, flowing underground, sitting high up on mountain glaciers, freezing and melting on the edges of the polar ice caps and forming clouds in the atmosphere. Average weather conditions over time is what we call climate. Texas is so large it is affected by air drawn in from the Pacific Ocean as well as the humid topical air flowing in from the Gulf of Mexico.
Water is Life
Water has properties that make it essential to life. And although the earth is known as “the water planet,” it has limited quantities of available freshwater. Humans need clean water to keep them healthy. Water can take three forms: liquid, solid (ice) and gas (vapor). Water exists in all three forms on Earth. Water can travel great distances. Water is called the “universal solvent” by chemists because it is very good at dissolving many different things. At this moment, the Earth has all the water it has ever had or will ever have. The hydrosphere is all the water on Earth. Compared to many countries, the US is water rich. We have 39 million surface acres of lakes and reservoirs. Agriculture is the biggest user of water. Water is the most important natural resource in Texas. Pure water is clear and transparent to light. Water may look clean but still be polluted. Pollution can also occur when too much organic matter, such as manure or human sewage, gets in the water and decays. The amounts and types of pollution in water affect water quality, which is water’s fitness for a particular use. Fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and all other wildlife depend on water for life. In particular, aquatic resources such as fish require abundant clean water.