|
Where's the
Water?
Inventory
of Water
Here is a partial breakdown of where
water occurs and how much is there.
Total
amount of water: 1,385,990.5 x 1015 kg
Reservoirs
|
Mass
of Water in 1015 kg |
Approximate
% |
Oceans |
1,350,000 |
97.4 |
Marine
atmosphere |
11 |
0.0008 |
Land
atmosphere |
4.5 |
0.0003 |
Surface
Water |
275 |
0.02 |
Ground
Water |
8,200 |
0.59 |
Snow
& Ice |
27,500 |
1.98 |
Data
from Chahine, 1992, The hydrological cycle and its influence
on climate, Nature, v. 359, p. 373-380;
What's
in the Water
Compound
Concentration in sea water (mg/kg) |
Concentration
in sea water (mg/kg) |
Concentration
in river water (mg/kg) |
Residence
Time in Myr (mean year) |
Water |
NA |
NA |
0.036 |
Chloride
19,350 5.75 120
|
19,350 |
5.75 |
120 |
Sodium
|
10,760 |
5.15 |
75 |
Sulfate |
2,712
|
8.25 |
12 |
Magnesium |
1,294 |
3.35
|
14 |
Calcium |
412 |
13.4 |
1.1 |
|
399 |
1.3
|
11 |
Bicarbonate |
145 |
52
|
0.1 |
Bromide |
67 |
0.02 |
100 |
Strontium
|
7.9 |
0.03 |
12 |
Silica |
2.9
|
10.4 |
02 |
Boron
|
4.6
|
0.01 |
10 |
Fluoride |
1.3 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
data from Butcher et al., 1992, Global Biogeochemical Cycles,
Academic Press
AUSTRALIA'S
LARGEST RESERVOIRS
|
Dam
|
River
|
State
|
Capacity
(megalitres) |
Completed |
Gordon
(Lake Pedder) |
Gordon |
TAS
|
12,450,000 |
1974
|
Ord
River (Lake Argyle)
|
Ord |
WA |
5,797,000
|
1972
|
Eucumbene
|
Eucumbene |
NSW |
4,798,000
|
1958
|
Dartmouth
Mitta Mitta VIC 4,000,000
1979
|
Mitta
Mitta |
VIC |
4,000,000 |
1979 |
Eildon
Goulburn VIC 3,390,000
1927/1955
|
Goulburn |
VIC |
3,390,000
|
1927/1955 |
Miena
Rockfill (Great Lake)
|
Shannon |
TAS
|
3,356,000
|
1967 |
Hume
|
Murray |
NSW |
3,038,000
|
1936/1961
|
Serpentine
(Lake Pedder)
|
Serpentine |
TAS |
2,960,000
|
1971 |
Warragamba
(Lake Burragorang)
|
Warragamba |
NSW |
2,057,000
|
1960/1989
|
Burdekin Falls (Lake Dalrymple)
|
Burdekin |
QLD |
1,860,000
|
1987 |
Source: ANCOLD Register of Large Dams in Australia
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