What Is the Land to Water Ratio on Earth?
Last Updated Apr 12, 2020 10:09:31 AM ET
The land-to-water ratio on Earth is about 29 percent land to 71 percent water, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Most of the Earth's water, about 96.5 percent, is saline water contained in the oceans.
More than 68 percent of the planet's fresh water is largely inaccessible, located in glaciers, ice caps and permanent snow. Another 30 percent of the planet's fresh water is located in the ground, within a half-mile of the Earth's surface. The amount of water located on Earth is enough to cover the entire land mass of the contiguous United States to a depth of 107 miles.
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