Water is one of the most important substances in nature. Not a single living organism can do without it, moreover, thanks to it, they arose on our planet. In different countries, a person consumes from 30 to 5,000 cubic meters of water per year. What benefit is derived from it? What are the ways to obtain and use water?
She surrounds us everywhere
Water is the most common substance on Earth and certainly not the last in space. Depending on the composition and properties, it is hard and soft, marine, brackish and fresh, light, heavy and extra heavy.
This is hydrogen oxide - an inorganic compound, liquid under normal conditions, has no smell or taste. With a small layer thickness, the liquid is colorless, with its increase it may acquire bluish and greenish hues.
It contributes to the flow of many chemical reactions, accelerating them. The human body contains about 70% water. Being in the cells of all animals and plants, it promotes metabolism, thermoregulationand other vital functions.
In three states of aggregation, it surrounds us everywhere, participating in the cycle of substances in nature. It is present in the air as water vapor. From it, it enters the Earth's surface in the form of precipitation (ice, fog, rain, hoarfrost, snow, dew, etc.). It enters rivers and oceans from above, seeps into them through the soil. After some time, it evaporates from their surface, re-entering the atmosphere and closing the circle.
Earth's main resource
All surface and underground waters of our planet, including atmospheric steam, are combined into the concept of the hydrosphere, or water shell. Its volume is nearly 1.4 million cubic kilometers.
About 71% is accounted for by the World Ocean - a continuous shell that surrounds the entire land of the Earth. It is divided into the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, Southern (according to some classifications) oceans, seas, bays, straits, etc. The oceans are filled with s alty sea water, unsuitable for drinking.
All drinking water (fresh) is within the land. It is only 2.5-3% of the total volume of the hydrosphere. Fresh water bodies are: rivers, part of lakes, streams, glaciers and mountain snow, groundwater. They are unevenly distributed. So, in some parts of the planet there are extremely arid and desert areas that have not been moistened for hundreds of years.
Most of the fresh water is in glaciers. They store about 80-90% of all world reserves of this valuable resource. Glaciers cover 16 million square kilometers of landlocated in the polar regions and on the tops of high mountains.
Source of life
Water appeared on Earth billions of years ago, either released during chemical reactions, or arriving here as part of comets and asteroids. Since then, it has been an integral part of our lives.
Man and animals drink it, plants absorb it by roots (or other organs) to maintain strength and energy. A huge part of the liquid enters the body with food.
In general, people need 5-10 liters of water a day, and about two in liquid form. Animals and plants can consume more of it. For example, hippos drink about 300 liters per day, about the same amount is needed for eucalyptus.
The use of water in nature is not limited to drinking. For a number of organisms, it is a habitat. Algae grow in rivers and oceans, fish, plankton, amphibians, arthropods, some mammals and other creatures live.
Water uses
In our daily life, not a single day goes without water. In this case, fresh reserves are usually used, the number of which is very limited. Huge amounts of this resource are spent in everyday life during cleaning, washing, washing dishes, cooking.
In addition, the use of water is necessary for personal hygiene. For this purpose, it is used not only at home, but also in all working institutions, especially in hospitals. In medicine, it is also used for therapeutic baths, compresses, rubdowns, added to the composition of preparations.
It is also indispensable for industry. Here, its ability to dissolve various substances, whether other liquids, s alts or gases, comes in handy in many ways. It is used to produce nitrous, acetic, hydrochloric acids, bases, alcohol, ammonia, etc. Every year, more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of raw materials are withdrawn from fresh lakes and rivers for industrial purposes.
The use of water is associated with sports such as figure skating, hockey, swimming, biathlon, rowing, surfing, powerboating. It is necessary when extinguishing a fire, for farming.
Energy
Another area of water application is energy. At thermal and electric stations, water is used to cool turbines, as well as to produce steam. To produce one gigawatt of electricity alone, thermal power plants consume 30 to 40 cubic meters of water per second.
The use of water in hydroelectric power plants is based on other principles. Here, electricity is generated due to the speed of the flow of rivers. Stations are installed in places with natural elevation changes. Where the rivers are not so swift, elevation changes are created artificially with the help of dams and dams.
China, India, USA, France and other countries use the power of the tides to produce energy. Such stations (PES) are built on sea coasts, where the water level changes several times a day under the influence of the forces of attraction of the Sun and the Moon.
Sea waves can also provide energy. Themspecific power even exceeds wind and tidal power. There are still few stations that generate energy in this way. The first appeared in 2008 in Portugal, it serves approximately 1,500 homes. At least one other station is located in the UK in the Orkney Islands.
Agriculture
Farming is impossible without water. It is mainly used for irrigation, as well as supplying birds and livestock. Only 600 cubic meters of water may be needed to breed ten thousand cows. Rice cultivation averages 2400 liters, grapes 600 liters and potatoes 200 liters.
Part of the water for irrigation of fields and plantations comes naturally in the form of precipitation. In some countries, such as the UK, they account for the bulk of the water supply.
Where the climate is drier, irrigation systems come to the rescue. They appeared in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Since then, of course, they have improved, but have not lost their relevance. Irrigation is used in Asia, South America and Europe. In the mountainous areas it is terraced, in the flat areas it is flood.
Recreation resource
One of the most enjoyable areas of human use of water is recreation. The damage from such use of the resource is much less than in other areas. In addition, most often people tend to go not to freshwater, but to sea waters.
On the seas and oceans, beach-bathing vacation. In Russia, the coast of the Black and Azov Seas is popular. Most of the reservoirs provide an opportunity for the development of water sports, boat trips and boat trips, as well as fishing.
Regions with mineral waters attract those who want not only to relax, but also to improve their he alth. As a rule, balneological resorts and sanatoriums are located in such places. Mineral waters are saturated with various s alts and trace elements, such as sulfur, magnesium, calcium, etc. Depending on the composition, they can affect various organs in the human body, improving their functioning.
