Hydrosphere

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Earth is called a 'water planet' because most of its surface is covered by water rather than land. About 71% of Earth's surface is covered by water, which is why we see more water area than land when …

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The Hydrological Cycle is the process in which ocean water is distributed to different areas as rain water and returns to the ocean. Due to solar heat, water from seas, lakes, and rivers turns into wa…

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The four main relief features of the ocean floor are: 1. Continental Shelf, 2. Continental Slope, 3. Abyssal (Deep Sea) Plains, 4. Deep Sea Trenches. These features are similar to landforms on land li…

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Continental Shelf is the plain region up to a depth of 200 metres (100 fathoms) near the coasts of seas and oceans. Key characteristics: covers 8% of ocean floor, average width is 65 km, average depth…

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Continental Slope is the slope that starts from the edge of continental shelf where ocean depth suddenly increases. It extends up to deep sea plains and acts as a transition between continental shelf …

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Deep Sea Plains are vast plains of the sea floor that start at the end of continental slope. Characteristics: cover 76% of sea floor area, average gradient is 1°, average depth is 6000 metres, submari…

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Submarine Trenches are the deepest areas of ocean floor. They are arc-shaped, narrow, with wall-like slopes. They are formed where slope becomes steep suddenly in deep sea plains, creating narrow, dee…

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Average surface temperature of ocean water is 17°C. By ocean: Pacific Ocean - 19°C, Indian Ocean - 17°C, Atlantic Ocean - 16.9°C. Generally, upper surface is warmer due to solar radiation, while lower…