The ocean and the atmosphere are thousands of times wider than they are thick, like a thin sheet of paper. Rivers and basins are often compared not according to their static volume, but to their flow of water, or surface run off. What percentage of earths water is usable freshwater. The core is illustrated as a vertical column, with the top of the column representing the most recent strata and the bottom representing the time when land was first colonized by life. Approximate the surface area of earth using the formula for the surface area is a sphere, s 4 pi r squared. This website, presented by nasas global precipitation measurement gpm mission, provides students and educators with resources to. The surface area of the bodies takes up 70 percent of earths total surface area while the land only takes up 30 percent. Fresh water can be found in lakes, ponds, rivers, and underground.
Various sources put percentage of earths surface covered by water at 71% and land 29%, but it appears that you already know this. The ocean is responsible for earths mild climate and makes life on earth possible for all creatures. Typically, fresh water is defined as water with a salinity of less than 1 percent that of the. Earths surface is the part of our planet that we interact with every day.
If the intensity of sunlight at the earths surface under a fairly clear sky is. If the majority of the earths surface is covered in salt water, why and how did we, and so many other species, evolve to require fresh water. When water becomes a gas, it enters the atmosphere in one of three different ways. An ocean of water is found 620 miles below earths surface and if it dries up, life on our planet could end. I guess id be faster telling you the area consider the asian far east eastern china, india philippines, japan, thailand, indonesia, etc it is said there are more people living in the circle than ou. This animation uses earth science data from a variety of sensors on nasa earth observing satellites as well as cartoons to describe earths water cycle and the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the earth. Asked in meteorology and weather, oceans and seas what percentage of the. This unit helps students explore the land and water that make up earths surface. The amount of water vapor in the air at any given time is usually less than that required to saturate the air. The earths water supply water education foundation. Get an answer for water covers how much of the earths surface and find homework help for other science questions at enotes.
If the majority of the earths surface is covered in salt. The total area of the earth is approximately 510 million square kilometers and the oceans cover about 71 percent of the earths surface, which is about 360 million square kilometers. About 71 percent of the earths surface is watercovered, and the oceans hold about 96. About threequarters of earths freshwater is stored in glaciers. About 71 percent of the earth s surface is water covered, and the oceans hold about 96. However, human influence is not restricted to the surface. The distribution of water on the earths surface is extremely uneven. But really only a very small percentage of the earth is water. Underneath the water that fills the oceans, and the dirt. However, of all the water on earth, more than 99 percent of earths water is unusable by humans and many other living things only about 0. The measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface.
Fresh surfacewater sources, such as rivers and lakes, only constitute about 22,300 cubic miles. What is the percentage of the earths surface is covered. Surface waters make up the majority of the water used for public supply and irrigation. In the northern hemisphere only, what percentage of the surface is land. However, of all the water on earth, more than 99 percent of earths water is. Of the liquid surface fresh water, 87% is contained in lakes, 11% in swamps, and. The earth is often compared to a majestic blue marble, especially by those privileged few who have gazed upon it from orbit. Earths surface is literally the fundament of all human uses of landscape. The earth is mostly blue because its large surface area of oceans. What percentage of the earths surface is relatively. Scroll through our resources above and click to download the book or.
Earths water is constantly transitioning through the hydrologic cycle. All of earths water, land, and atmosphere within which. It seems extraordinary that the water that supports all terrestrial, as well as aquatic. Bob jones earth science chapter 17 flashcards quizlet. Pour 30 ml of the water into a 100 ml gradu ated cylinder. Two studies found evidence of oceans of water in earths lower mantle. Only a very small percentage of earths water is fresh, liquid water on the surface. The distribution of river runoff across the earths surface is very uneven. What percent of earths serface water is in the form of.
This is due to the prevalence of water on the planets surface. How do you calculate what percentage of the earths. The leftside bar chart shows how almost all of earths water is saline and is found in the oceans. How do you calculate what percentage of the earths surface a land or water area is. Asked in chemistry what percentage of earths water is usable to people. Researchers wish to locate and study the terrestrial organisms fossilized in this core. The earth does have quite a bit of water, which we know is essential to life. Ask students where most of the water on earth is located refer to a globe or a map of the world. From vast oceans to long rivers, massive ice sheets to backyard ponds, this book looks at.
So, if only 31% of the fresh water is available for drinking, this means 31% of 2. Earth is unique among the rocky planets in the solar system in that it is the only planet known to have oceans of liquid water on its surface. What percentage of acceleration at earths surface is acceleration due to gravity at position of satellite. How much of the earths water is stored in glaciers. In simplest terms, water makes up about 71% of the earths surface, while the other 29% consists of continents and islands.
Earths hydrosphere consists chiefly of the oceans, but technically includes all water surfaces in the world, including inland seas, lakes, rivers, and underground waters down to a depth of 2,000 m 6,600 ft. They constitute approximately 80 percent of the water used on a daily basis. What percentage of the acceleration at earths surface is. All of earths water, land, and atmosphere within which life exists is known as a population. Not all of the water in the ground and in lakes and rivers is easy to reach or clean. As a liquid, it covers a little over half of the surface of the earth to an average depth of just under four kilometers, out of a total radius of the earth of 6,370 km. An ocean of water is found 620 miles below earths surface. What percentage of the earths surface is covered in water. The remaining 30% is made up of the seven continental landmasses. This 30 ml represents earth s fresh water, about 3 percent of the total amount of water on earth. Water covers 70 percent of the earths surface, but only a fraction is. The unity and diversity of life mindtap course list. Yes, i think that question refers just to land, or in other words. Test your knowledge of waters role on earth with this quiz and worksheet.
Earth is known as the blue planet because 71 percent of the earths surface is covered. The 37 wilderness areas identified in the book represent 46 percent of the earths land surface, but are occupied by just 2. The teacher guide describes our current understanding of water cycling and freshwater issues that affect natural and. Add up the percentages for water available for drinking water.
Of freshwater, 69% resides in glaciers, 30% underground, and less than 1% is located in lakes, rivers, and swamps. Approximately 71 percent of the earths surface is water. The atmosphere on earth is fairly transparent to incoming sunlight. The earth is a closed system, meaning that very little matter, including water, ever leaves or enters the atmosphere, the. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in you and your dog. Only the portion of freshwater residing in surface water rivers and lakes, etc, snow and ice, and relativelyshallow ground water. In some areas, the glacier often melts in summer to provide additional drinking water.
Global analysis finds nearly half the earth is still. Distribution of water on the earths surface earth 103. Therefore, less than 1% of the earths water is drinkable. Most water in the earths atmosphere and crust comes from the world oceans saline seawater. Thats because about 71 percent of earths surface is covered in water. The bottled water that is consumed today might possibly be the same water that once trickled down the back of a wooly mammoth. In simplest terms, water makes up about 71 % of the earths surface, while the other 29 % consists of continents and islands. I dont have a text book, i have a online book and it isnt working. What percentage of earths water is located in oceans. Several natural processes cause water to change states from solid to liquid to gas. John snow mapped the spatial relationship between deaths from the waterborne disease cholera and the locations of water. Only a small percentage of water is suitable for humans to drink. What is the difference between a country and a continent how many 8.
In 1990, the united states alone used approximately 327,000 billion gallons of surface water a day. Earths surface provides everything needed for life to thrive, including shelter, food, and water. Notice how of the worlds total water supply of about 332. The earth seen from space looks like a blue colored planet with constant moving swirls of clouds of earths everchanging weather. Earths surface is shaped into various landforms by gravity, wind, water, and the movements of earths crust.
Water covers how much of the earths surface enotes. The abundance of water on earths surface is a unique feature that distinguishes the blue planet from other planets in the solar system. The origin of water on earth is the subject of a body of research in the fields of planetary science, astronomy, and astrobiology. List of countries of the world water surface percentage. And, of the total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers.
List of countries of the world sorted by water surface percentage of total area. Water is renewed again and again by the natural hydrologic cycle where water evaporates, transpires from plants, rises to form clouds, and returns to the earth as precipitation. The earth is covered in a large water body that is known as the sea. As global ocean temperatures increase, the ocean water expands causing sea level rise which. Purchase water at the surface of earth 1st edition.
But water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in you and your dog. Water at the surface of earth 1st edition elsevier. What would the global water cycle look like if the earth were covered by 50% ocean water. Fresh surfacewater sources, such as rivers and lakes. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.