“Water, Water, Everywhere...” You’ve heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth’s water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds and on the surface of the Earth in rivers, oceans, ice, plants, and in living organisms. But did you know that water is also inside th…
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Geological Survey Science Science Explorer Mission Areas Programs Unified Interior Regions Science Centers Observatories Laboratories Frequently Asked Questions Educational Resources Special Topics Products Data Maps Multimedia Gallery Publications Web Tools Software U.S. Board on Geographic Names The National Map USGS Library USGS Store Park Passes News News Releases Featured Stories Science Snippets Technical Announcements Employees in the News Get Our News Media Contacts Newsletters I'm a Reporter Connect Headquarters Locations Staff Profiles Social Media Careers Contact Us About About Us Survey Manual Key Officials Organization Congressional Budget Careers and Employees Doing Business Emergency Management Latest Earthquakes Web Chat Share Facebook Twitter Linkedin Digg Reddit Pinterest Email Breadcrumb Water Science School Science Where is Earth's Water? Completed By Water Science School June 6, 2018 Water Science School Home Go Home How much water is there? Earth's Water The Water Cycle Where to begin? Water Basics by Topic Topics Water Science School Home Go Home How much water is there? Earth's Water The Water Cycle Where to begin? Water Basics by Topic Topics Water Science School Home Go Home 12345 Overview Science Multimedia "Water, Water, Everywhere..." You've heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth's water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds and on the surface of the Earth in rivers, oceans, ice, plants, and in living organisms. But did you know that water is also inside the Earth? Read on to learn more. • Water Science School HOME • Water Basics topics • The Water Cycle • Where is Earth's Water? "Water, Water, Everywhere...."You've heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth's water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds, on the surface of the Earth in rivers, oceans, ice, plants, in living organisms, and inside the Earth in the top few miles of the ground. For an estimated explanation of where Earth's water exists, look at this bar chart. You may know that the water cycle describes the movement of Earth's water, so realize that the chart and table below represent the presence of Earth's water at a single point in time. If you check back in a million years, no doubt these numbers will be different! Left bar: All water, freshwater and saline, on, in, and above the Earth. Center bar: All freshwater Right bar: Only the portion of freshwater residing in surface water (rivers and lakes, etc), snow and ice, and relatively-shallow ground water. Here is a bar chart showing where all water on, in, and above the Earth exists. The left-side bar chart shows how almost all of Earth's water is saline and is found in the oceans. Of the small amount that is actually freshwater, only a relatively small portion is available to sustain human, plant, and animal life. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Notice how of the world's total water supply of about 332.5 million cubic miles of water, over 96 percent is saline. And, of the total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers. Another 30 percent of freshwater is in the ground. Fresh surface-water sources, such as rivers and lakes, only constitute about 22,300 cubic miles (93,100 cubic kilometers), which is about 1/150th of one percent of total water. Yet, rivers and lakes are the sources of most of the water people use everyday. In the first bar, notice how only 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater - the amount needed for life to survive. The middle bar shows the breakdown of freshwater. Almost all of it is locked up in ice and in the ground. Only a little more than 1.2% of all freshwater is surface water, which serves most of life's needs. The right bar shows the breakdown of surface freshwater. Most of this water is locked up in ice, and another 20.9% is found in lakes. Rivers make up 0.49% of surface freshwater. Although rivers account for only a small amount of freshwater, this is where humans get a large portion of their water. One estimate of global water distribution(Percents are rounded, so will not add to 100) Water source Water volume, in cubic miles Water volume, in cubic kilometers Percent offreshwater Percent oftotal water Oceans, Seas, & Bays 321,000,000 1,338,000,000 -- 96.54 Ice caps, Glaciers, & Permanent Snow 5,773,000 24,064,000 68.7 1.74 Groundwater 5,614,000 23,400,000 -- 1.69 Fresh 2,526,000 10,530,000 30.1 0.76 Saline 3,088,000 12,870,000 -- 0.93 Soil Moisture 3,959 16,500 0.05 0.001 Ground Ice & Permafrost 71,970 300,000 0.86 0.022 Lakes 42,320 176,400 -- 0.013 Fresh 21,830 91,000 0.26 0.007 Saline 20,490 85,400 -- 0.006 Atmosphere 3,095 12,900 0.04 0.001 Swamp Water 2,752 11,470 0.03 0.0008 Rivers 509 2,120 0.006 0.0002 Biological Water 269 1,120 0.003 0.0001 Source: Igor Shiklomanov's chapter "World fresh water resources" in Peter H. Gleick (editor), 1993, Water in Crisis: A Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources (Oxford University Press, New York). Below are other science topics associated with Earth's water. link November 13, 2019 How Much Water is There on Earth? The Earth is a watery place. But just how much water exists on, in, and above our planet? Read on to find out. link November 13, 2019 How Much Water is There on Earth? The Earth is a watery place. But just how much water exists on, in, and above our planet? Read on to find out. Learn More Label link October 16, 2019 Aquifers and Groundwater A huge amount of water exists in the ground below your feet, and people all over the world make great use of it. But it is only found in usable quantities in certain places underground — aquifers. Read on to understand the concepts of aquifers and how water exists in the ground. link October 16, 2019 Aquifers and Groundwater A huge amount of water exists in the ground below your feet, and people all over the world make great use of it. But it is only found in usable quantities in certain places underground — aquifers. Read on to understand the concepts of aquifers and how water exists in the ground. Learn More link June 8, 2019 The Atmosphere and the Water Cycle The atmosphere is the superhighway in the sky that moves water everywhere over the Earth. Water at the Earth's surface evaporates into water vapor which rises up into the sky to become part of a cloud which will float off with the winds, eventually releasing water back to Earth as precipitation. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's "natural" water cycle without... link June 8, 2019 The Atmosphere and the Water Cycle The atmosphere is the superhighway in the sky that moves water everywhere over the Earth. Water at the Earth's surface evaporates into water vapor which rises up into the sky to become part of a cloud which will float off with the winds, eventually releasing water back to Earth as precipitation. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's "natural" water cycle without... Learn More link June 7, 2019 Ice, Snow, and Glaciers and the Water Cycle The water stored in ice and glaciers moves slowly through are part of the water cycle, even though the water in them moves very slowly. Did you know? Ice caps influence the weather, too. The color white reflects sunlight (heat) more than darker colors, and as ice is so white, sunlight is reflected back out to the sky, which helps to create weather patterns. link June 7, 2019 Ice, Snow, and Glaciers and the Water Cycle The water stored in ice and glaciers moves slowly through are part of the water cycle, even though the water in them moves very slowly. Did you know? Ice caps influence the weather, too. The color white reflects sunlight (heat) more than darker colors, and as ice is so white, sunlight is reflected back out to the sky, which helps to create weather patterns. Learn More link September 25, 2018 Interactive Water Cycle Diagrams for Kids Our interactive diagrams allow you to "mouse around" the parts of the water cycle and view explanations, pictures, and more. link September 25, 2018 Interactive Water Cycle Diagrams for Kids Our interactive diagrams allow you to "mouse around" the parts of the water cycle and view explanations, pictures, and more. Learn More link June 18, 2018 Groundwater Storage and the Water Cycle The ground stores huge amounts of water and it exists to some degree no matter where on Earth you are. Lucky for people, in many places the water exists in quantities and at depths that wells can be drilled into the water-bearing aquifers and withdrawn to server the many needs people have. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's "natural" water cycle without human... link June 18, 2018 Groundwater Storage and the Water Cycle The ground stores huge amounts of water and it exists to some degree no matter where on Earth you are. Lucky for people, in many places the water exists in quantities and at depths that wells can be drilled into the water-bearing aquifers and withdrawn to server the many needs people have. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's "natural" water cycle without human... Learn More link June 8, 2018 Oceans and Seas and the Water Cycle The oceans are, by far, the largest reservoir of water on earth — over 96% of all of Earth's water exists in the oceans. Not only do the oceans provide evaporated water to the water cycle, they also allow water to move all around the globe as ocean currents. Oceans are the storehouses of water nature uses to run the water cycle. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's... link June 8, 2018 Oceans and Seas and the Water Cycle The oceans are, by far, the largest reservoir of water on earth — over 96% of all of Earth's water exists in the oceans. Not only do the oceans provide evaporated water to the water cycle, they also allow water to move all around the globe as ocean currents. Oceans are the storehouses of water nature uses to run the water cycle. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's... Learn More link June 8, 2018 Freshwater (Lakes and Rivers) and the Water Cycle Freshwater on the land surface is a vital part of the water cycle for everyday human life. On the landscape, freshwater is stored in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and creeks and streams. Most of the water people use everyday comes from these sources of water on the land surface. link June 8, 2018 Freshwater (Lakes and Rivers) and the Water Cycle Freshwater on the land surface is a vital part of the water cycle for everyday human life. On the landscape, freshwater is stored in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and creeks and streams. Most of the water people use everyday comes from these sources of water on the land surface. Learn More link June 6, 2018 Glaciers and Icecaps Glaciers are a big item when we talk about the world's water supply. Almost 10 percent of the world's land mass is currently covered with glaciers, mostly in places like Greenland and Antarctica. You can think of a glacier as a frozen river, and like rivers, they "flow" downhill, erode the landscape, and move water along in the Earth's water cycle. link June 6, 2018 Glaciers and Icecaps Glaciers are a big item when we talk about the world's water supply. Almost 10 percent of the world's land mass is currently covered with glaciers, mostly in places like Greenland and Antarctica. You can think of a glacier as a frozen river, and like rivers, they "flow" downhill, erode the landscape, and move water along in the Earth's water cycle. Learn More Below are multimedia items associated with Earth's water. Filter Total Items: 30 Media type TypeAudioBefore/After ImageDynamic FileDynamic ImageFileImageSlideshowStereogramVideoWebcam Release Date (field_release_date) Year20232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995 Label link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Next page ›› Last page Last » Overview "Water, Water, Everywhere..." You've heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth's water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds and on the surface of the Earth in rivers, oceans, ice, plants, and in living organisms. But did you know that water is also inside the Earth? Read on to learn more. • Water Science School HOME • Water Basics topics • The Water Cycle • Where is Earth's Water? "Water, Water, Everywhere...."You've heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth's water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds, on the surface of the Earth in rivers, oceans, ice, plants, in living organisms, and inside the Earth in the top few miles of the ground. For an estimated explanation of where Earth's water exists, look at this bar chart. You may know that the water cycle describes the movement of Earth's water, so realize that the chart and table below represent the presence of Earth's water at a single point in time. If you check back in a million years, no doubt these numbers will be different! Left bar: All water, freshwater and saline, on, in, and above the Earth. Center bar: All freshwater Right bar: Only the portion of freshwater residing in surface water (rivers and lakes, etc), snow and ice, and relatively-shallow ground water. Here is a bar chart showing where all water on, in, and above the Earth exists. The left-side bar chart shows how almost all of Earth's water is saline and is found in the oceans. Of the small amount that is actually freshwater, only a relatively small portion is available to sustain human, plant, and animal life. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Notice how of the world's total water supply of about 332.5 million cubic miles of water, over 96 percent is saline. And, of the total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers. Another 30 percent of freshwater is in the ground. Fresh surface-water sources, such as rivers and lakes, only constitute about 22,300 cubic miles (93,100 cubic kilometers), which is about 1/150th of one percent of total water. Yet, rivers and lakes are the sources of most of the water people use everyday. In the first bar, notice how only 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater - the amount needed for life to survive. The middle bar shows the breakdown of freshwater. Almost all of it is locked up in ice and in the ground. Only a little more than 1.2% of all freshwater is surface water, which serves most of life's needs. The right bar shows the breakdown of surface freshwater. Most of this water is locked up in ice, and another 20.9% is found in lakes. Rivers make up 0.49% of surface freshwater. Although rivers account for only a small amount of freshwater, this is where humans get a large portion of their water. One estimate of global water distribution(Percents are rounded, so will not add to 100) Water source Water volume, in cubic miles Water volume, in cubic kilometers Percent offreshwater Percent oftotal water Oceans, Seas, & Bays 321,000,000 1,338,000,000 -- 96.54 Ice caps, Glaciers, & Permanent Snow 5,773,000 24,064,000 68.7 1.74 Groundwater 5,614,000 23,400,000 -- 1.69 Fresh 2,526,000 10,530,000 30.1 0.76 Saline 3,088,000 12,870,000 -- 0.93 Soil Moisture 3,959 16,500 0.05 0.001 Ground Ice & Permafrost 71,970 300,000 0.86 0.022 Lakes 42,320 176,400 -- 0.013 Fresh 21,830 91,000 0.26 0.007 Saline 20,490 85,400 -- 0.006 Atmosphere 3,095 12,900 0.04 0.001 Swamp Water 2,752 11,470 0.03 0.0008 Rivers 509 2,120 0.006 0.0002 Biological Water 269 1,120 0.003 0.0001 Source: Igor Shiklomanov's chapter "World fresh water resources" in Peter H. Gleick (editor), 1993, Water in Crisis: A Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources (Oxford University Press, New York). Science Below are other science topics associated with Earth's water. link November 13, 2019 How Much Water is There on Earth? The Earth is a watery place. But just how much water exists on, in, and above our planet? Read on to find out. link November 13, 2019 How Much Water is There on Earth? The Earth is a watery place. But just how much water exists on, in, and above our planet? Read on to find out. Learn More Label link October 16, 2019 Aquifers and Groundwater A huge amount of water exists in the ground below your feet, and people all over the world make great use… truncated (7,495 more characters in archive)