water on Earth would fit into one 860-mile-wide ball
Every sea, river and underground lake would fit into what looks like a tiny blue 'blister' on the side of our planet.
'As you know, the Earth is a watery place - but all the water on, in, and above the Earth would fill a ball the size of that tiny blue sphere sitting on the United States, reaching from about Salt Lake City, Utah to Topeka, Kansas,' says a USGS release.
The oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water.
Water also exists on Earth in the air as clouds and water vapour, in lakes and rivers, in icecaps and glaciers, and in living creatures - but all of that would fit into the tiny ball.
'The vast majority of water on the Earth's surface, over 96 percent, is saline water in the oceans,' says the USGS.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2141321/Waterworld-Ball-dust-like--water-Earth-fit-860-mile-wide-bubble.html#ixzz1uTGhDyQu
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html
Where is Earth's water located?
For a detailed explanation of where Earth's water is, look at the data table below. Notice how of the world's total water supply of about 333 million mi3 of water, over 96 percent is saline. And, of the total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers. Another 30 percent of freshwater is in the ground. Rivers are the source of most of the fresh surface water people use, but they only constitute about 300 mi3 (1,250 km3), about 1/10,000 th of one percent of total water.
Note: percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Every sea, river and underground lake would fit into what looks like a tiny blue 'blister' on the side of our planet.
'As you know, the Earth is a watery place - but all the water on, in, and above the Earth would fill a ball the size of that tiny blue sphere sitting on the United States, reaching from about Salt Lake City, Utah to Topeka, Kansas,' says a USGS release.
The oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water.
Water also exists on Earth in the air as clouds and water vapour, in lakes and rivers, in icecaps and glaciers, and in living creatures - but all of that would fit into the tiny ball.
'The vast majority of water on the Earth's surface, over 96 percent, is saline water in the oceans,' says the USGS.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2141321/Waterworld-Ball-dust-like--water-Earth-fit-860-mile-wide-bubble.html#ixzz1uTGhDyQu
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html
Where is Earth's water located?
For a detailed explanation of where Earth's water is, look at the data table below. Notice how of the world's total water supply of about 333 million mi3 of water, over 96 percent is saline. And, of the total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers. Another 30 percent of freshwater is in the ground. Rivers are the source of most of the fresh surface water people use, but they only constitute about 300 mi3 (1,250 km3), about 1/10,000 th of one percent of total water.
Note: percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
