Instructor Resources

Chapter 2: Hydrosphere: One Dynamic Water System

Purpose of Chapter 2

For the Student to understand:

•  This chapter discusses the source of water that is used for hydrotherapy treatments, for the hydration of the human body and the water that makes up 60% of  the human body.
  
  
•  The source of all water, for whatever purpose, is the hydrosphere. The hydrosphere represents the total amount of water on planet Earth, which is found to exist naturally in the liquid, vapor or frozen states, and which remains relatively constant at 332 million cubic miles. This entire amount of water is part of one interconnected system, with many different expressions in the natural environment, including the oceans, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, geysers, snow, rain, glaciers, ice caps.  Internet Educational Resource: HyperPhysics  Link (Distribution of water)  Internet Educational Resource: HyperPhysics  Link (Seawater) 
  
  
• The hydrosphere is a dynamic system with constant evaporation of water, precipitation in the form of mainly rain and snow and constant circulation of this water from higher to lower elevations. This dynamic activity of the hydrologic cycle is known as the hydrologic cycle. Internet Educational Resource: HyperPhysics  Link (Hydrologic Cycle), Internet Educational Resource: Poland Springs Water  Link (Hydrologic Cycle),   Internet Educational Resource: U.S. Geological Survey  Link (Hydrologic Cycle)
  
  
• The behavior of water in the hydrosphere and as it is expressed in the hydrologic cycle, is according the basic principles of the natural behavior of water as described in Chapter 1.
  
  
• Human beings are a natural part of the hydrosphere, they are not separate from the hydrosphere. At any given time, approximately 66 billion gallons of water are inside the total population and approximately 4 million gallons of water per minute are flowing into and out of the total population.
  
  
• Experiences of the healing and therapeutic nature of water in the natural environment, for example at hot springs, the oceans and waterfall, has provided insights into the use of the water as a therapeutic modality.
  
  
• Certain activities by human beings are having a negative impact on the hydrosphere, including toxic chemicals, dumping of garbage, overuse of water, destruction of wetlands and the potential negative effects of global warming.
  
  
• Certain activities by human beings are having a negative impact on our drinking water. Internet Educational Resource: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA  Link Link (Safe Drinking Water)  Internet Educational Resource: AP Research on Drugs in Drinking Water  Link  (Drugs in Drinking Water) 

Lesson: Hydrosphere & Hydrologic Cycle

Have the students read the chapter and then discuss the chapter in a classroom session. Refer to the textbook for detailed information for the discussion and teaching exercises discussed below.

• Discuss: The nature of the hydrosphere, that it has a relatively fixed amount of water and that is found in different natural expression in the natural environment, including the oceans, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, geysers, snow, rain, glaciers, ice caps, etc.
  
  
• Discuss: Why the hydrosphere is one, dynamic, integrated system. See NASA photos below that show the Earth and the hydrosphere. The photos provide a vision and understanding of the hydrosphere.
  
  
• Discuss: The hydrologic cycle and its role in purifying and distributing water to all regions of the globe.
  
  
• Discuss: The how behavior of water in the hydrosphere and as it is expressed in the hydrologic cycle, is according the basic principles of the natural behavior water. Have the students provide as many examples of this as possible. For example, it is the principle of gravity operating on water that brings water from high to lower elevations. It is the principle of evaporation of water that brings  water from lower elevations to higher elevations. It is the principle of water of a solvent that allows oxygen, carbon dioxide and minerals to dissolve in the water as water passes through the atmosphere and soil. Figure 2–2 The hydrologic cycle (courtesy of U.S. Department of the Interior/U.S. Geological Survey)

  
  

• Discuss: Why are human beings a natural part of the hydrosphere? Why are all living systems connected to the hydrosphere, the one water system on the planet?
  
  
• Discuss: How people can gain experience and knowledge of the therapeutic value of water from experiences of water in natural settings, for example in hot springs, at the ocean, rivers, waterfalls, snow and ice. Have the students give some examples as well as any experiences they may have.  Figure 2–5 Body surfing (compliments of Greg Rice, Sandy Beach, Ohau, Hawaii).

  
  
  

• Exercise: Have the students create a dynamic model of the hydrologic cycle as described in Teaching Exercise 2.1. Discuss how each aspect of the hydrologic cycle can be found functioning in this model of the hydrologic cycle.
  
  
• Exercise: Have the students research the source, treatment procedures, distribution and other important aspects of the local municipal water supply. Discuss what home water purification systems should be used to further purify the local municipal water coming into residential homes to make it safe for drinking. There is really no one correct approach for this and there are many opinions on what is the needed, but it is an interesting topic of discussion which can provoke a meaningful discussion.
  
  
• Exercise: In a classroom setting, or on a home computer, have the students view the different NASA photos of planet Earth's key elements of the hydrosphere and the hydrologic cycle. (These photos are also in the student/reader section)
  1. That the hydrosphere is one interconnected system.
  2. Show the dynamic elements of the hydrologic cycle: surface water (for example ocean, river, lakes, ice caps) and clouds. Using examples in the photos, for example the rainforest in the Amazon, show how all living systems are connected to the same hydrosphere.
  3. Show how pollution of the hydrosphere by people in any country, can effect the total hydrosphere and all living systems connected with it.

 NASA Photos of the Hydrosphere

	Australia		South America, Central America, Caribbean		Africa, Middle East, Europe		Antarctica		North America, Northern Icecap

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Describe the hydrosphere. Answer: The hydrosphere refers to the all the water on Earth, which is a fix amount of approximately 322,500,000 cubic miles. All this water is part of one, interconnected system, with different natural dynamic expressions, for example, the oceans, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, snow, rain and ice caps.

2. Describe the hydrologic cycle. Answer: All the of water in the hydrosphere is involved in a continual dynamic process of evaporation (purification), condensation (clouds), rain and snow (precipitation) and flow of water from higher to lower elevations.

3. Why is the hydrosphere considered one interconnected water system? Answer: Because there is a fixed amount of water on Earth that behaves as one system. The functioning of the hydrosphere is an example of this.

4. Why are human beings a natural part of the hydrosphere? Answer: All living system, including human beings, are mainly made up of water. Approximately 66 billion gallons of water is inside the total population of human beings at any given time.

5. Give an example of how knowledge of the use of water for hydrotherapy could have been gained from the experience of water in natural settings. Answer: Bathing in natural hot springs could produce the healing benefits of detoxification and increased speed of healing. 

6. What are some of the everyday uses of water by people from sources in the hydrosphere? Answer: See Figure 2-6 A few examples are for agriculture, hydration, bathing and cleaning.

7. What are some of the recreational uses of water? Answer: See Figure 2-6 A few examples are swimming, skiing and boating.

8. List several ways human activity is damaging the hydrosphere. Discuss different ways to reduce or eliminate these problems. Answer: Toxic chemical pollution of water from industry and dumping of garage in water systems, including the ocean, is harming the hydrosphere. Education and government regulation are two main ways to control these problems.

9. Discuss how water, on a global scale, is purified by the hydrologic cycle and is naturally distributed to every region on Earth. Answer: Evaporation of water from surface water on the Earth all the water molecules to separate and rise into the atmosphere, where they will later condense to form pure water in the form of rain and snow. However, as the water comes into contact with pollution in the air and land, these substance may dissolve or mix with the water. 

10. List several ways water is treated to make it safe for drinking, both by municipal treatment plants and by residential water purification systems. Answer: Municipal water treatment removes sediment in the water and chemical treatment kills and germs in the water.