Home >> Science & Nature >> Nature

Classification of Bodies of Water According to Type & Use

There is certainly no shortage of water on the planet, especially as the majority of the surface of the Earth is covered by water as opposed to land. Land masses and water often flow together, interweaving with one another. The difficulty lies in actually classifying many of these different forms and characteristics in which water can exist.

Oceans
- The largest and most basic type of body of water is an ocean. Earth has five oceans: the Indian, Southern, Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific. Oceans have been classified as such due to the enormous amount of space that they encompass, which is subjective, but stands as the only real defining characteristic of oceans. Oceans are used in several ways, including travel by boat and fishing.
Seas
- Very similar to an ocean is a sea. Classification of seas usually stems from it being a large body of water -- however, one that is smaller than an ocean. Usually seas adjoin an ocean, but are mostly surrounded by land. Large seas in the world that fit this description include the Mediterranean Sea and the North Sea. Seas are commonly used as transport areas between large masses of land, much like oceans. They also serve as fishing areas, as well as access areas to natural resources, such as the oil that is derived from the North Sea.
Lakes
- Lakes are large bodies of water that are surrounded by land. They can be as large as the Great Lakes in the northern United States, or smaller, as in natural lakes in state or national parks. Lagoons are considered either ponds or lakes that attach to another larger body of water. Lakes are usually much deeper than ponds, providing areas of water where the sunlight penetrates very little. This allows for a variety of different plant and animal life in a lake . Lakes are used for commercial fishing or recreational purposes.
Ponds
- Similar to lakes, ponds tend to be bodies of water surrounded by land; however, their size is usually much smaller than lakes. Ponds tend to occur naturally in depressions of land. Artificial ponds are often constructed around homes or in parks for aesthetic purposes.
Rivers
- Rivers are elongated bodies of water that flow over land. Normally, rivers are classified as such once they reach a size that is above that of local streams. Most rivers are long and large enough to flow into channels at the ends or in intermediate areas. Rivers can be thousands of miles long --- such as the Nile --- or only hundreds of feet long, such as the "D River," located in Oregon, which holds steady at 120 feet. Rivers have commonly been the starting point of many cities, including capitals such as Cairo and London. They offer fresh water supplies to cities along their banks, as well as an easy transport system for material goods by boat.

Nature