Earth's Water Distribution

The chart shows the distribution of fresh water on Earth. Most of the fresh water on Earth is

• highly polluted

• in the frozen state

• used for agriculture

• purified for drinking

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

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

• Lake Baikal holds 50% of Earth's fresh surface water

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

The water cycle describes the movement of water on Earth. About 97% of water on Earth is salt water found in oceans. The rest is fresh water. Where is the majority of fresh water on Earth found?

• groundwater and aquifers

• swamps and wetlands

• ice caps and glaciers

• lakes and rivers

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

Which of the following percentages is the best estimate for the amount of the water on Earth which is stored in oceans (saltwater)?

• 97%

• 70%

• 54%

• 20%

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

Fresh water is water that is not salty. The graph below shows three ways fresh water is found on Earth. What is the term for water held in large areas underground?

• reservoir

• agua

• aquarium

• aquifer

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

• lakes

• streams

• groundwater

• living things

This table shows sizes of Earth's oceans. Based on information given, which statement is correct?

• 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