How much freshwater is available on our planet?

How much freshwater is available on our planet? Today’s Video of the Day from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center breaks down the amount and location of Earth’s accessible freshwater.

The oceans contain 97 percent of the water on our planet, which means the other three percent is freshwater.

However, once you eliminate the freshwater that is unavailable, such as the water locked up in glaciers, only one percent of all the Earth’s water is usable and accessible by humans. Although approximately 70% of the earth is covered in water, a very small percentage is drinkable. 97% of earth’s water is salt-water. The remaining 3% is fresh water. However, large percentages of the earth’s fresh water is locked in glaciers.

In its current state, less than 1% of the Earth’s water is usable. The majority of water found on Earth is not drinkable. It is a common fact that the world is covered in water. In fact, continents are like big islands in expansive oceans. About 75% of the earth is covered in water. Underneath the surface of the Earth lies a very large source of fresh water. Groundwater is the largest source of fresh water on the planet, and the second largest source of water, next to the water found in the oceans. It’s roughly 326 million cubic miles (1.332 billion cubic kilometers), according to a recent study from the U.S. Geological Survey. Some 72 percent of Earth is covered in water, but 97 percent of that is salty ocean water and not suitable for drinking.

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center