Distribution of Earth's Water

Summary

The video script discusses the distribution of Earth's water, highlighting that 96.5% is saltwater in oceans. Of the remaining 2.5% fresh water, 70% is ice, 30% is groundwater, and only 1.2% is surface water. Further, 69% of surface water is inaccessible ground ice, leaving 20.9% in lakes and 10.1% in rivers, atmosphere, and other sources. Ultimately, just 0.03% of Earth's water is accessible surface fresh water, emphasizing the scarcity of this vital resource.

Takeaways

• 🌍 96.5% of Earth's water is saltwater, primarily in the oceans.
• 💧 Only 2.5% of Earth's water is fresh, which is essential for life.
• ❄️ Nearly 70% of fresh water is locked in glaciers and polar ice caps.
• 🌱 30% of fresh water is stored deep underground, requiring wells to access.
• 💧 1.2% of fresh water is surface water, which is more easily accessible.
• ⛷ 69% of surface fresh water is in the form of ground ice or permafrost.
• 🏞️ 20.9% of surface fresh water is found in lakes.
• 💧 10.1% of surface fresh water is in rivers, the atmosphere, and other surface sources.
• 🌎 A mere 0.03% of all Earth's water is accessible surface fresh water.
• 🌱 The distribution of Earth's water highlights the scarcity of accessible fresh water.

Q & A

What percentage of Earth's total water is salt water?

A staggering 96.5 percent of Earth's total water is salt water, primarily found in our oceans.

How much of Earth's water is classified as fresh water?

Only 2.5 percent of all the water on Earth is considered fresh water.

What forms does the remaining 1 percent of Earth's water take?

The remaining 1 percent is salty water found in estuaries and other brackish bodies of water.

What percentage of fresh water is locked as solid ice in glaciers and polar ice caps?

Nearly 70 percent of fresh water is locked as solid ice in Earth's glaciers and polar ice caps.

How much of the fresh water is trapped in the ground?

Another 30 percent of fresh water is trapped in the ground, accessible through drilling wells.

What is the percentage of fresh water that exists as surface water?

1.2 percent of the total fresh water exists as surface fresh water.

How much of the surface fresh water is in the form of ground ice or permafrost?

69 percent of the surface fresh water exists in the form of ground ice or permafrost.

What percentage of surface fresh water is found in Earth's lakes?

20.9 percent of surface fresh water is found in Earth's lakes.

How much of the fresh water is scattered throughout Earth's rivers, atmosphere, and other locations?

The remaining 10.1 percent of fresh water is scattered throughout Earth's rivers, atmosphere, within living things, swamps, marshes, and surface soil.

What is the actual percentage of Earth's total water that is accessible as fresh water on the surface?

A mere 0.03 percent of all the water on Earth is accessible as fresh water on the surface.

Why is the accessibility of fresh water important to discuss in the context of Earth's water distribution?

The accessibility of fresh water is important because it directly impacts the availability of water for human consumption, agriculture, and ecosystems, despite the vast amount of water present on Earth.