How much freshwater is in the world

In fact, some of the water you see flowing in rivers comes from seepage of groundwater into river beds. Water from precipitation continually seeps into the ground to recharge aquifers , while at the same time water in the ground continually recharges rivers through seepage.

Humans are happy this happens because we make use of both kinds of water. In the United States in , we used about billion gallons 1, billion liters of surface water per day,and about Although surface water is used more to supply drinking water and to irrigate crops, groundwater is vital in that it not only helps to keep rivers and lakes full, it also provides water for people in places where visible water is scarce, such as in desert towns of the western United States.

Without groundwater, people would be sand-surfing in Palm Springs, California instead of playing golf. 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 Of total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers. Another 30 percent of freshwater is in the ground. Note: Percentages may not sum to percent due to rounding.

One estimate of global water distribution Percents are rounded, so will not add to Earth's water is almost everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds and on the surface of the Earth in rivers, oceans, ice, plants, and in living organisms. But did you know that water is also inside the Earth? Read on to learn more. Earth's water is always in movement, and the natural water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

Water is always changing states between liquid, vapor, and ice, with these processes happening in the blink of an eye and over millions of years. Our interactive diagrams allow you to "mouse around" the parts of the water cycle and view explanations, pictures, and more.

Yes, of course the most obvious fact about water is that it is wet, at least in the liquid state. But, there are many more facts about water that make it a most fascinating substance, one that all life on and in the Earth depends on. Not only do the oceans provide evaporated water to the water cycle, they also allow water to move all around the globe as ocean currents. Oceans are the storehouses of water nature uses to run the water cycle. Water is always changing states between liquid, vapor, and ice, with these processes happening in the blink of an eye and over.

The U. Water consumption - water that has been withdrawn and is not available for reuse in the area from which it is withdrawn. In the U. That's 65 glasses of water every day for a year. There are about 10 million acres of lawn in the U. That's enough to give every person in the world a shower for four days in a row. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. Of that, only about 1. Most of our drinking water comes from rivers and streams. This water is the lifeline of ecosystems around the world. Clean fresh water is a limited and valuable resource.

In this module, students consider the question: will there be enough fresh water? Students explore the distribution and uses of fresh water on Earth. They explore models of porosity and permeability, run experiments with computational models, and hear from a hydrologist working on the same question. Students explore maps to discover the distribution of fresh water resources on Earth, and they examine graphs to discover how fresh water supplies are used by humans.

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Writers Ari J. Measuring rainfall helps advance our understanding of Earth's water cycle, improving forecasts of extreme events such as flooding, landslides, and drought. Knowing when, where, and how much rain will fall improves crop forecasts and can benefit agriculture. The amount of water in our rivers and lakes is important in assessing water availability and in preparing for possible water-related events, such as floods and drought.

Sensors on a suite of NASA satellites observe and measure freshwater resources, including rainfall, snow and ice, rivers and lakes, groundwater, soil moisture, and water quality. These measurements are important to understanding the availability and distribution of Earth's water, which is both vital to life and vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and a growing world population. The EOSDIS Worldview mapping application provides the capability to interactively browse global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers.

Understanding soil moisture aids in improving weather forecasts, monitoring drought, predicting floods, and assessing agricultural needs. Most freshwater is frozen in glaciers, snow, ice caps, and ice sheets. Both seasonal and long-term changes to snow cover and ice can impact the amount of freshwater that is available.