Water on Earth Explorer
Earth is called the Water Planet, but did you know most of that water is salty and we cannot drink it? Explore interactive charts to discover where water is hiding and why clean freshwater is so precious. All computation runs in your browser.
Reference Guide
Earth's Water at a Glance
About 71% of Earth's surface is covered with water, but the vast majority is saltwater in the oceans.
- Saltwater = 97.2% of all water
- Freshwater = only 2.8%
Of the small amount of freshwater, most is frozen in ice caps or stored deep underground.
Where is the Freshwater?
The 2.8% of freshwater is divided into three main types.
- Ice caps and glaciers = 68.7% of freshwater
- Groundwater = 30.1%
- Surface water = only 1.2%
Surface water includes all the lakes, rivers, and swamps we can see, yet it is a tiny fraction of total freshwater.
Water We Can Actually Use
Humans mainly use groundwater (wells) and surface water (lakes and rivers) for drinking.
That is why protecting water quality and not wasting water is so important for people everywhere.
The Water Cycle
Water constantly moves between oceans, air, and land through the water cycle.
- Evaporation turns liquid water into vapor
- Condensation forms clouds from water vapor
- Precipitation returns water as rain or snow
- Collection gathers water in lakes, rivers, and oceans
The total amount of water on Earth stays the same. It just keeps moving in this endless cycle!