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Apply your knowledge of Earth's water distribution to answer each question. Use data, explain relationships, and justify your reasoning.
1. The bar graph shows the approximate percentage of Earth's total water found in four reservoirs. Use the graph to answer: Which two reservoirs together hold more than 99% of Earth's water? Explain how you used the graph to determine your answer.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Oceans Ice Caps and Glaciers Groundwater Surface Water Percentage of Earth's Total Water (%) Water Reservoir Answer:
2. Fill in the table to compare three of Earth's main water reservoirs by their key characteristics.
Characteristic Oceans Ice Caps and Glaciers Groundwater Salt or fresh water? Approximate % of Earth's total water Available for human use without treatment?
3. About 97% of Earth's water is found in the oceans, yet scientists say that fresh water is scarce. Of the remaining 3% that is fresh water, most is locked in glaciers and ice caps. Explain the relationship between where fresh water is stored and why so little of it is easily available for people and ecosystems to use. Use specific percentages in your explanation.
4. Earth's total water volume is estimated at about 1,386,000,000 cubic kilometers. Approximately 2.5% of that is fresh water. Of all fresh water on Earth, about 69% is stored in glaciers and ice caps, about 30% is groundwater, and only about 1% is surface water such as lakes and rivers. Using this data, calculate approximately how many cubic kilometers of surface water exist on Earth. Show your work step by step.
5. A student claims: 'Because Earth is called the blue planet and oceans cover most of its surface, humans should have no trouble finding water to drink.' Which statement best explains why this reasoning is flawed?
A Ocean water looks blue, which means it is cleaner than fresh water and safe to drink. B Most of Earth's water is salty ocean water, and nearly all fresh water is frozen or underground, leaving very little that is directly accessible for drinking. C There is actually very little water on Earth's surface, so the name blue planet is misleading. D Fresh water is easy to find because rivers and lakes cover more of Earth than the oceans do. 6. A scientist studying climate change reports that glaciers around the world are melting at a faster rate than before. Using what you know about Earth's water reservoirs, explain TWO effects this melting could have on the distribution of water on Earth. Describe how the percentages of water in at least two different reservoirs would change, and whether this would be beneficial or harmful to humans.
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