Hydrosphere

Grade 9
Class Notes

01
 1 Hydrosphere

1 Hydrosphere

1.1 Hydrosphere
1.2 Movement of ocean water

2 Ocean Currents
2.1 Factors affecting ocean current
2.1.1 Effect of planetary wind
2.1.2 Effect of temperature
2.1.3 Effect of salinity
2.1.4 Effect of rotation of the Earth
2.1.5 Effect of shape of the land
2.2 Classification of ocean currents
2.2.1 Warm ocean current
2.2.2 Cold ocean current
2.3 Major ocean current

3 Tides

3.1 Tides
3.2 High tide and low tide
3.3 Full moon day and new moon day
3.4 Spring tide
3.5 Neap tide

02
 1. Hydrosphere

1.1 Hydrosphere

• Hydrosphere means all forms

Lithosphere
of water on Earth that include
(29% land)
oceans, rivers, lakes, and
more.
Hydrosphere • Three-fourths part of the
(71% water) Earth is covered in water.

• Of all the water on Earth’s surface, 97% of water is in

oceans.
• 2% of Earth’s water is in polar ice caps, and the rest is fresh
water.

1.2 Movement of ocean water

• There are three types of movement of ocean water: waves,
currents, and tides.
• Waves: Waves are the up-and-down movement of surface
water in the ocean by the pushing action of wind.
• Tides: These are the regular and alternate rise and fall of the
surface of the sea.
• Ocean currents: The regular pattern of movement of large
masses of ocean water in a definite direction is known as
ocean currents.

03
 2. Ocean Currents

2.1 Factors affecting ocean current

Temperature

Important
Planetary wind Rotation of Earth
factors

Salinity Shape of the land

2.1.1 Effect of planetary wind

• Most of the ocean currents

Trade winds follow the direction of the
North Equatorial Current
prevailing wind.
South Equatorial Current
• Due to the friction between
Trade winds
wind and water, winds drag the
water in their direction.

• For example, north and south equatorial currents flow towards

the west under the influence of trade winds that flow
westwards.

04
 2. Ocean Currents

2.1.2 Effect of temperature

Pole Equator

Warm: Less dense water • Temperature affects the density of

ocean water. As the temperature
Ocean
increases, density decreases, and
Cold: More dense water vice versa.
Ocean bottom
Movement of ocean water

• So, the denser water subsides, while warmer water flows along
the surface.
• For example, warm equatorial water, being less dense, flows to
the poles along the surface. But the colder polar water, being
denser, moves towards the Equator along the bottom.

2.1.3 Effect of salinity

Less saline More saline • Salinity is the amount of salt

water water
Low salinity: Less dense dissolved in the ocean water.

Ocean
• As the salinity increases, the
density increases, and vice versa.
High salinity: More dense
• Salinity will be very low in open
Ocean bottom

Effect of salinity on ocean water

seas and very high in closed seas.

• So, water from the more saline regions flows via the surface into
less saline regions.

05
 2. Ocean Currents

2.1.4 Effect of rotation of the Earth

• The Earth rotates from west to

Northern
Hemisphere: east, and it affects the direction
Clockwise
of wind and water.
Equator
• The ocean current circulates

Southern
clockwise in the Northern
Hemisphere:
Anticlockwise Hemisphere and anticlockwise
in the Southern Hemisphere.

2.1.5 Effect of shape of the land

Cayenne
current
• The shape of the land plays an Equator Equatorial Current

Brazil

important role in the obstruction Brazilian

current
and diversion of ocean currents.

• For example, due to the shape of the Brazilian coast, the

equatorial current in the Atlantic Ocean is bifurcated into two: the
Cayenne Current in the north and the Brazilian Current in the
south.

06
 2. Ocean Currents

2.2 Classification of ocean currents

Warm
Cold

• Based on the temperature of the water, ocean currents are divided

into two: warm ocean currents and cold ocean currents.

2.2.1 Warm ocean current

North
Pole

• It is the current wherein the water

is warmer than the surrounding Equato
r
water.

South
Pole

• The equatorial part of the Earth receives more heat compared to

the poles. So, the water near the Equator region is generally
warmer. So, the warm ocean current flows from the Equator to
the poles.

07
 2. Ocean Currents

2.2.2 Cold ocean current

North
Pole
• It is the current wherein the water
is colder than the surroundings.

• Generally, cold ocean currents Equator

move from the polar region which

is colder to the Equator which is a
South
hotter region. Pole

2.3 Major ocean current

Ocean Currents in Major Oceans

Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean

Warm ocean Cold ocean Warm ocean Cold ocean

current current currents current

Kuroshio Oyashio Florida Labrador

Current Current Current Current

Gulf Stream

North
Atlantic Drift

08
 2. Ocean Currents

Kuroshio Current

• It is the warm ocean current of the

Pacific Ocean.
Kuroshio
Current • It flows in the northeast direction
close to the eastern coast of Japan.
• It is divided into two branches.

Oyashio Current
• It originates from the Sea of Oyashio
Current
Okhotsk and the Bering Sea.
• It is also known as Kurile current.
• Dense fog is formed where cold
Oyashio and warm Kuroshio
currents converge.

North Atlantic Drift

North
• North Atlantic Drift is formed
America
near Grand Bank where Labrador
North
Atlantic Drift
Current joins the Gulf Stream.
• It is divided into branches.
Africa

09
 2. Ocean Currents

Florida Current

• It is originated in the Gulf of Mexico

Florida
and flows from the Strait of Florida
Current
to Cape Hatteras.
• It was discovered by Ponde Leon in
1513.

Gulf Stream

• It flows from Cape Hatteras to Grand

Bank.
• It is responsible for the modification
Gulf
Stream
of the climatic condition of the
eastern coast of the USA and the
western coast of Europe.

Labrador Current

Labrador • It originates in the Baffin Bay and

Current
Davis Strait and flows through
Newfoundland and Grand Bank.
• It meets with the warm Gulf
Stream near Newfoundland,
creating dense fog.

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 3. Tides

3.1 Tides
• Tides are the alternate rise and fall of
the surface of the sea.
• There are three forces responsible for
the formation of tides. They are
gravitational force, centrifugal force,
and tide-producing force.

Gravitational force
Centrifugal Gravitational
F1 F2 force force
m1 m2

𝒎𝟏 𝒎𝟐
𝑭𝜶 Earth
𝒓𝟐 Moon
F Force between two bodies
m1 & m2 Mass of two bodies Tidal Bulge Tidal Bulge
R Distance between two bodies

• According to Sir Isaac Newton, there exists a force of attraction

between two bodies that is directly proportional to the product of
their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the
distance between them.
• As mass increases, the force increases, and as the distance
increases, the force decreases but the effect of distance is felt more
as compared to that of mass.
• Gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon causes water
on Earth’s surface to bulge out on the side closest to the Moon.
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 3. Tides

Centrifugal force

Centrifugal Gravitational • Centrifugal force is generated on

force force

revolving bodies.
• It is equal to the gravitational force at
Earth
Moon the centre of the body.
Tidal Bulge Tidal Bulge • It operates in the opposite direction of
gravitational force.
• It causes the oceans to bulge on the opposite side facing the Moon.

Tide-producing force

• This force is proportional to the

Sun
390𝒙
product of masses and inversely
Earth 𝒙
proportional to the cube of the Moon

distance between them. Distance between Earth and Moon = X

Distance between Earth and Sun = 390X
• Here, distance is more important than 𝒎𝟏 𝒎𝟐
Tide producing force 𝑭𝜶
mass. 𝒓𝟐

• The Sun is 270 million times the size of the Moon, and 390 times
farther from Earth. So, the tide-producing force of the Sun is 390
times less than that of the Moon. So, the influence of the Moon on
the formation of the tide is greater than that of the Sun.

12
 3. Tides

3.2 High tide and low tide

• The face of the Earth facing the Moon

Earth rotation
experiences maximum gravitational
Low Tide
Brazil
High
High
Moon pull and as a result, the Earth's surface
Tide Tide
Earth
Due to
Centrifugal
Due to
Gravitational
water is pulled.
force force

Low Tide
• Similarly, a pulling of ocean water on
the opposite side of the Earth by
centrifugal force is also experienced.

• Thus, high tide is formed in these two regions, i.e., one side that is
facing the Moon and the other side that is opposite it.
• When the water is pulled to two sides, the water level decreases on
the other two sides. Thus, low tides are formed.

3.3 Full moon day and new moon day

Earth, Moon, and Sun are in a straight line.

New Moon Day Full Moon Day

Moon in centre Earth in centre

Moon
Moo
Sun Sun n
Earth Earth

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 3. Tides

3.4 Spring tide

LT
MC MG Moon
Su HT
Earth HT
• Spring tide occurs on full moon and
n
SG SC

LT
new moon days.
LT • Various forces are united at two
Moon MG MC
Su
n
HT
Earth HT opposite positions on the Earth. So,
SG SC

LT there is greater force and pull on

MG = Moon’s Gravitational Force
MC = Moon’s Centrifugal Force
SG = Sun’s Gravitational Force
SC = Sun’s Centrifugal Force
seawater. This forms the spring tide.

• High tides of spring tide are higher than the average high tide, and
low tides of spring tide are lower than the average low tide.

3.5 Neap tide

Moon
• Neap tides occur when the position
MG
of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth is at
right angles. Su
Earth
n
SG SC
• During neap tide, gravitational and
MC
centrifugal forces are divided.
MG = Moon’s Gravitational Force SG = Sun’s Gravitational Force
MC = Moon’s Centrifugal Force SC = Sun’s Centrifugal Force

• High tides of neap tide are lower than the average high tide, and low
tides of neap tide are higher than the average low tide.

14
 Important Questions

Question 1 : Describe the types of movement of ocean water.

Question 2: Explain the effect of temperature on ocean currents.

Question 3: Explain the major ocean currents in the Pacific

ocean.
Question 4: Describe the formation of high tides.

Question 5: Explain spring tide and neap tide.

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