Summary
This video from NASA Space Place explores the amount and types of water found on Earth, highlighting the distribution of salt water, fresh water, and its presence in various forms.
Highlights
Earth's Abundant Water Supply
00:00:03
Earth is unique due to its significant water presence, found in the ground, vast oceans, atmosphere, and within living organisms. Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface.
Saltwater Dominance
00:00:25
A vast majority, 96.5%, of Earth's water is saltwater, primarily composed of sodium chloride, the same salt used in food.
Freshwater Distribution
00:00:39
Only 3.5% of Earth's water is fresh water suitable for drinking. Most of this freshwater (68%) is trapped in ice and glaciers, one-third is groundwater, and a mere 2% is found in rivers, lakes, and streams. A small amount also exists as water vapor in the atmosphere, forming clouds.
Visualizing Earth's Water
00:01:07
If all the water on Earth were collected into a single sphere, it would form a ball approximately 860 miles wide.