Ninety percent of the world's surface freshwater is locked up in ice sheets.
The Dominance of Ice Sheets
The vast majority of Earth's readily accessible freshwater – a staggering 90% of the world's surface freshwater – resides in the planet's ice sheets. These massive glaciers, primarily located in Greenland and Antarctica, contain an immense volume of frozen water. This equates to a potential 70-meter rise in global sea levels if all of this ice were to melt.
Understanding the Distribution:
- Antarctica and Greenland: The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are by far the largest reservoirs of freshwater on Earth.
- Glacial Ice: The term "ice sheet" refers to a permanent layer of ice covering an extensive land area.
- Surface Freshwater: This excludes groundwater and other forms of freshwater stored beneath the Earth's surface.
Implications of Ice Sheet Melt:
The significant amount of freshwater held within these ice sheets has profound implications for global sea levels and climate change. Any significant melting of these ice sheets would lead to a substantial rise in sea levels, with potentially catastrophic consequences for coastal communities and ecosystems worldwide. The sheer scale of this freshwater reserve underscores its importance in the Earth's hydrological cycle.
