What Are the Interactions Between the Atmosphere and Hydrosphere?
Interactions between the atmosphere and hydrosphere involve creation of water-related weather activity, such as rainfall, snowstorms, hurricanes and monsoons. The atmosphere contains five layers, which perform separate functions. The atmosphere performs many important duties, including producing winds and temperature that influences seasonal temperatures, and interacts with all systems on Earth, including the lithosphere and biosphere.
While the atmosphere stores water molecules, moisture and water form in the hydrosphere. The hydrosphere includes all bodies of water on Earth, ranging from underground reservoirs and basins to streams, rivers, oceans and lakes. It also includes solid and gaseous water, such as ice and water in volcanoes and hot springs. Regardless of source, however, water from the hydrosphere evaporates into the air and reaches the atmosphere in the same way since water in the hydrosphere and air in the atmosphere move constantly. In the water, currents and waves create movement, much like winds in the atmosphere. The winds from the atmosphere affect movement of water, depending on direction, force and temperature. Water that heats from the sun evaporates into the atmosphere, where it resides as water vapor. When cooled, the heavier water molecules release, causing rain, snow, sleet and other forms of precipitation.
