the membrane of water in liquid, solid and gaseous form that covers the surface of the earth; while water is the only known planet with extensive liquid water, the substance has been found on the moon, Mars and moons of Jupiter, as well as comets.
Hydros was to provide the first global view of the Earth's changing soil moisture and surface freeze/thaw conditions, enabling new scientific studies of global change and atmospheric predictability, and making new hydrologic applications possible.http://hydros.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.php