The water of the Earth

How much moisture is involved in the giant cyclical process of ocean – atmosphere land ocean?

What is the mechanism of this conveyor thanks which moisture gets from the ocean to the land and back?

It has been estimated that a total of 577000 cu km of water annually evaporates on our planet, chiefly from the surface of the ocean.

Hydrologists made several interesting discoveries: For instance, they established for the first time that there is another important link in the external rotation of moisture - the flow of moisture from the mainland's to the ocean through the atmosphere. It rums out that the sky is literally furrowed by powerful and deep rivers. Every year, for example, 4,000 cu km of water "flows" above the Volga area - this is tantamount to twenty rivers such as me Volga.

The data on the transfer of steam in the atmosphere can be used for calculating the water balance of the mainland's large river basins and for analyzing how water conditions are shaped over large territories.

Here are some calculations. According to the new calculations, the reserves of water on the planet total 1,386 million cu km; of which only 2,5 per cent is freshwater. The most sizable part of it is conserved in the ice covers of the Antarctic and the Arctic. Only 0,25 per cent of the reserves are to be found in lakes and only 0,006 per cent in rivers.

The bulk of water resources replenish their reserves at an extremely slow rate and cannot therefore be used without running the risk of upsetting the balance of nature.

Until recently water reserves on the planet were considered to be unlimited. Water seemed to be an inexhaustible gift of nature water has become a factor limiting the development of vast areas of the globe, it is not nature but man is to blame, Indeed, mankind now uses about 2,600 cu km - roughly 6 per cent of the annually renewable reserves of freshwater. It would seem that the reserves of water supply are great. Unfortunately, this is not so. The threat of a water crisis is becoming obvious. One of the main reasons is the growing pollution of surface waters.

The most realistic way to the solution of the water problem is through rationalizing the use of nature. The water of the planet can and must remain pure.

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moisture - влага

to evaporate – испаряться

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