2026 Geography Chapter 3 Notes (Water and its spatial distribution) (Sec 1)

Geography Chapter 3 notes!! ◐◡◑ Chapter 3: Water and its spatial distribution What are the physical states of water ? - Water exists in the solid, liquid and gaseous states - The solid state of water: - Ice is water in its solid state. - Under cold conditions, water freezes into ice - Ice can be seen in: snow, glaciers and hail (all naturally occurring) - The liquid state of water - Water in its liquid state flows freely - Liquid water has no set shape but has a set volume - Water can be seen in its liquid for when it rains, and in rivers and reservoirs - The gaseous state of water - Steam is made of water vapour, water in its gaseous state - Water turns into vapour through evaporation - Since evaporation occurs at any time and temperature, water vapour is always in the air around us. Water on earth is most commonly found in water stores. What are water stores ? - Places where water can be contained in - Categorised as: - Freshwater stores - Saltwater stores - Glaciers - Rivers - Lakes - Groundwater - Soil - These places all contain freshwater, meaning they all contain water with low amounts of salt that can be used more readily - Oceans are freshwater stores, which means that they contain too much salt to be used more directly - Water stores are not evenly distributed on the Earth’s surface - Water can still move from one store to another in movements known as flows.

- For example, glaciers could melt and flow into rivers, which may eventually flow back into the ocean. What are oceans ? - Oceans are large masses of water that are connected to one another. - There are 5 oceans in the world - The largest ocean is the Pacific Ocean which is surrounded by countries in Asia, Australia and the Americas - The second largest ocean is the Atlantic Ocean , which separates countries in Americas from Europe and Asia - The third largest ocean is the Indian Ocean , which is surrounded by countries in Asia, Africa and Australia . - Polar Bears swim in the Arctic Ocean - Penguins swim in the Southern Ocean What are glaciers ? - Glaciers are large masses of ice that rest on land or float in the sea - Found in places that snow throughout the year so that enough snow can accumulate and harden into ice - Glaciers move very slowly because they are very heavy What are lakes ? - Lakes are large water bodies surrounded by land - Lakes may receive water from rain, snow or rivers What are rivers ? - Rivers are natural wide flows of freshwater across the land that store water temporarily before water flows into another water body. - Flow from places of higher elevation as gravity pulls water downwards - A river source marks where a river begins - A river mouth marks the place where a river flows into another water body. - For example, Kallang River starts fr