Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere comprises all water components of the Earth system, including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, groundwater, soil moisture, and atmospheric water vapor. It plays a central role in climate regulation, the global water cycle, and mass redistribution processes.

In geodesy, the hydrosphere is monitored through observations of sea level change, ocean mass variability, terrestrial water storage, and surface loading effects. Space-geodetic techniques such as satellite altimetry, GNSS, and satellite gravimetry provide essential data to quantify hydrospheric mass changes and their impact on the Earth’s gravity field, crustal deformation, and Earth rotation.