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In this section

• 1. Water
• 2. Properties Of Water
• 3. Water As A Resource
• 4. Oceans
• 5. Aquatic Habitats

Summary

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Contents

Water

1. Aims
2. Water: the most abundant substance on the Earth's surface
3. The oceans: most of the world's water
4. Continual motion of water in the hydrological cycle
5. Water evaporation from the sea
6. Rain and snow: the liquid water cycle
7. Precipitation sinking below the biologically active zone
8. The uneven natural distribution of water and different biomes

Properties of water

1. Aims
2. The distinctive chemical and physical properties of water
3. Water density
4. Melting and boiling point
5. Heat capacity
6. Heat of vaporisation
7. Surface tension
8. Absorption of radiation
9. Solvent properties

Water as a resource

1. Aims
2. Water: an essential requisite for life
3. Dependence of nations on advanced water resource development
4. Freshwater and ice
5. The global circulation system and recycling times
6. Water for drinking, domestic use and irrigation
7. Problems in matching water supplies to water demands at different places and times
8. Sustainable water resource management and the hydrological cycle
9. Examples of poorly integrated river basin management

Oceans

1. Aims
2. The oceans: the most important single reservoir in the hydrosphere
3. The oceans and the Earth's climate
4. The oceans as a resource which is used and exploited by civilisations
5. The constant composition of water in the oceans
6. The residence time of the dissolved salts in the oceans
7. The chemical and physical properties of ocean water
8. Links between the oceans and the atmosphere
9. Ocean currents: gyres
10. Cold water sinks at the bottom of the ocean
11. Upwelling of cold bottom water in the oceans
12. Upwelling and the interaction between coastline geometry and the local
    wind patterns
13. Cloud-algae theory and the dynamic balance between marine plankton,
    sunlight and cloud cover

Aquatic habitats

1. Aims
2. Coral reefs: some of the most spectacular and diverse of all marine ecosystems
3. Disturbance of coral reefs by natural events
4. Commercial exploitation of coral
5. Coral reefs threatened by human activities
6. Freshwater ecosystems
7. Wetlands
8. Open waters and pollution
9. Accelerated eutrophication
10. Monitoring of pollution levels in rivers
11. Over-fishing
12. Unselective fishing practices
13. The unique ocean bottom environment
14. Mitigation of human impacts on the marine environment