body of water
Also known as bodies of water, waterbody, water body
any significant accumulation of water, generally on a planet's surface
AI overview
A body of water is any large collection of water found on a planet's surface, such as an ocean, sea, lake, or river. Bodies of water matter because they cover most of Earth's surface, support diverse life, influence climate and weather patterns, and provide essential resources for human communities.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Satgolfoven.jpg
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- Commons category
- Bodies of water
- OpenStreetMap tag
- natural=water
- equivalent class
- id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/Q367
~3 min read
Article
The Aubach, a watercourse in Germany A fjord (Lysefjord) in Norway. A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of the earth. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as ponds, wetlands, or more rarely, puddles. A body of water does not have to be still or contained; rivers, streams, canals, and other geographical features where water moves from one place to another are also considered bodies of water.
Most are naturally occurring and massive geographical features, but some are artificial. There are types that can be either. For example, most reservoirs are created by engineering dams, but some natural lakes are used as reservoirs. Similarly, most harbors are naturally occurring bays, but some harbors have been created through construction.