Water's Distribution on Earth

Which of the following percentages is the best estimate for the amount of the water on Earth which is stored in the ocean?

• 97%

• 70%

• 54%

• 20%

Approximately 30% of the Earth’s freshwater is stored in –

• lakes

• streams

• groundwater

• living things

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Of all of the freshwater on Earth, most of it is found in –

• lakes

• streams

• wetlands

• glaciers

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This graphic shows the largest fresh and salt water sources on Earth. Which of these sources BEST completes the graphic?

• snow

• clouds

• groundwater

• swimming pools

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The Earth has

• more freshwater than saltwater

• more saltwater than freshwater

• unknown amounts of saltwater and freshwater

• the same amounts of saltwater and freshwater

This table shows sizes of Earth's oceans. Based on this table and the makeup of Earth's total water, which reasonable conclusion can be made?

• Earth's seas contain more salt water than the oceans

• Earth's land has more surface area than Earth's oceans

• Earth's largest source of salt water is the Pacific Ocean

• The Pacific Ocean is larger than all other oceans combined

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Which is a shared characteristic of all the locations marked by stars on the map?

• glacier locations

• saltwater sources

• volcano hot spots

• Earth's highest points

This pie chart displays the makeup of Earth's water. Which sentence is true about Earth's water, based on the data in the pie chart?

• Over 30% of fresh water humans use comes from lakes and rivers

• Humans use a much greater percentage of salt water than fresh water

• Fresh water makes up 2.5% of the water on Earth so it should be conserved

• Most of Earth's total water is frozen in ice glaciers, which are made of salt water

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Less than 3% of the Earth's water supply is fresh water. Only about 0.3% of this supply is surface water, found in rivers, lakes, and swamps. This pie chart shows how this small percentage of surface water is distributed. Based on the data shown, which statement is true?

• The majority of Earth's rivers and swamps are found in North America and Africa

• The North American Great Lakes is Earth's third-largest fresh surface water source

• The North American Great Lakes and Lake Baikal hold 50% of Earth's fresh surface water

• The amount of fresh surface water in swamps and rivers is equal to that of Lake Baikal

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The water cycle describes the movement of water on Earth. About 96% of water on Earth is the salt water found in oceans. The remaining 4% is fresh water. Where would the majority of the fresh water on Earth be found?

• groundwater and aquifers

• swamps and wetlands

• ice caps and glaciers

• lakes and rivers

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