How much water is on, in, and above the Earth? As you know, the
Earth is a watery place. But just how much water exists on, in,
and above our planet? About 70 percent of the Earth's surface is
water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all
Earth's water. But water also exists in the air as water vapor,
in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as
soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in you and your dog.
Water is never sitting still, though, and thanks to the water
cycle, our planet's water supply is constantly moving from one
place to another and from one form to another. Things would get
pretty stale without the water cycle! All Earth's water in a
bubble This drawing shows various blue spheres representing
relative amounts of Earth's water in comparison to the size of
the Earth. Are you surprised that these water spheres look so
small? They are only small in relation to the size of the Earth.
This image attempts to show three dimensions, so each sphere
represents "volume."