1 In recent years, the U.S. has seen a number of winter storms that have caused surprisâ¦. 2  The Periodic Table of Elements Life is sustained by a number of chemical elements. 3  They are responsible for the birth of planets and the evolution of cells to complex organisms.
Water distribution on Earth - Distribution of saline and fresh water. 1  The total volume of water on Earth is estimated at 1.386 billion kmÂ³ (333 million cubic miles), with 97.5% being salt water and 2.5% being fresh water. 2  The total volume of water in rivers is estimated at 2,120 kmÂ³ (510 cubic miles), or 2% of the surface fresh water on Earth.
Even though the planet is 71 percent water, the largest percentage of Earth's water is saltwater in the oceans and cannot be used for drinking. The table describes the main locations of water on Earth. Notice that about 98 percent of Earth's water is saltwater. The remaining 2 percent is freshwater, but the majority of that percentage is found in the polar ice caps and glaciers, which is not readily available to us.