Today, over 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, with the vast majority of that being saltwater. Only about 2.5% of the water on Earth is freshwater and therefore fit to drink. The Earth has gone through many changes in the 4.5 billion years it has existed, and water was not always the most dominant feature on the planet.
Keep in mind this percentage is only an approximation since water is always in a cycle on this planet and changing forms from liquid to gas, so an exact percentage could change on almost a daily basis. The 70% of the Earth that is submerged beneath the ocean is no by means flat and featureless. The oceans has a wide variety of mountains, trenches, canyons, plains, and plateaus. The pressure of the water is always changing the underwater landscape over time and exploration of this region of the planet is one of the great challenges facing man today.
The vast abundance of water on our planet is what distinguishes us from the other planets in our Solar System. Not only is water present in oceans and freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, and man-made lakes, as both polar regions are covered in thick ice caps that some people believe are melting at an alarming rate and adding to the water in the oceans due to the burning of fossil fuels and other activity by man that is artificially warming the planet. If this is true, major changes could happen over the next few decades and several million people who live next to the oceans in major cities could be in danger.
The levels of percentages of water on the planet are something scientists will continue to monitor very closely in the next few years, as even a slight change in levels could have a huge effect on the human and animal populations here.
Keep in mind this percentage is only an approximation since water is always in a cycle on this planet and changing forms from liquid to gas, so an exact percentage could change on almost a daily basis. The 70% of the Earth that is submerged beneath the ocean is no by means flat and featureless. The oceans has a wide variety of mountains, trenches, canyons, plains, and plateaus. The pressure of the water is always changing the underwater landscape over time and exploration of this region of the planet is one of the great challenges facing man today.
The vast abundance of water on our planet is what distinguishes us from the other planets in our Solar System. Not only is water present in oceans and freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, and man-made lakes, as both polar regions are covered in thick ice caps that some people believe are melting at an alarming rate and adding to the water in the oceans due to the burning of fossil fuels and other activity by man that is artificially warming the planet. If this is true, major changes could happen over the next few decades and several million people who live next to the oceans in major cities could be in danger.
The levels of percentages of water on the planet are something scientists will continue to monitor very closely in the next few years, as even a slight change in levels could have a huge effect on the human and animal populations here.
