Importance of water

Jul 5, 2012 by Hydrology and Ground Water Expo

There’s no doubt that water is important.  Not only do we humans use it just about every day, but every living thing needs it to live.  It has helped form the Earth as we know it, and it covers over 70% of the Earth.  Even where there is land, much of it is covered in ice, which is obviously just solid water.  The importance of water is clear to us in many ways, and we can’t overlook it.

Where would people be without water?  Well aside from, you know, not being alive, we may never have evolved the big brains that make us such a unique species.  Some say that that learning how to keep, and transport water over land was the key to our survival when other similar species just kept dying off.

How about the importance of water in shaping the Earth?  At some point or another it is likely that where you are sitting right now was covered in water.  It may have been under the vast oceans that once spread further than they do today, or they may have been buried under as much as a mile of glacier.  Glaciers formed the largest lakes; the Great Lakes, and they are responsible for carving mountains into the shapes we know.

Did you know that water is also a large part of weather patterns?  Aside from actually being part of the weather in the form of rain sleet and snow, large bodies of water can keep a regions temperature milder than a location even just a few miles inland. Humidity is also a large factor in weather.  Humidity is the amount of the water in air. This can affect the temperature of the air close to a body of water.  When the temperature of the air in one place is different from that in another, you will also find a difference in pressure. Differences in pressure causes atmospheric movement and weather fronts.  While water is not the cause of weather, you can clearly see the importance of water in the equation.