Ice-caps
Explanation
The hydrosphere encompasses all water on Earth. While approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, the vast majority is saline. Fresh water constitutes a very small fraction of the total water available, and its distribution varies significantly across different reservoirs.Distribution of Water on Earth:
- Oceans (Saline Water): Account for approximately 97.3% of the total water on Earth.
- Fresh Water: Accounts for roughly 2.7% of the total water.
Breakdown of Fresh Water Resources:
- Ice-caps and Glaciers: These hold the largest share of fresh water, constituting approximately 68.7% of the total fresh water.
- Groundwater: This is the second-largest source, accounting for approximately 30.1% of fresh water.
- Other Sources: The remaining small fraction is distributed among permafrost, fresh water lakes, soil moisture, the atmosphere, rivers, and biological bodies.
- Fresh Water Lakes: ~0.26% of fresh water.
- Atmosphere: ~0.04% of fresh water.
Thus, ice-caps represent the largest percentage of fresh water on Earth.
Key Takeaway: While oceans contain nearly all of Earth's water, the majority of the planet's fresh water is locked in ice-caps and glaciers, followed by groundwater.