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The Earth's water supply compared to the size of the U.S.

The Earth's water supply compared to the size of the U.S.
The Earth's water supply compared to the size of the U.S.
The Earth's water supply compared to the size of the U.S.
The Earth's water supply compared to the size of the U.S.
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386840
Cook, John E.
The Earth's water supply compared to the size of the U.S.
Illustration
12/26/2007
EarthWater-3spheres-1.tif
Image Of the Day caption:
Viewed from outer space, Earth has been called the Blue Planet. But if you could pull all the water in the ocean, the atmosphere, groundwater and surface water into a ball, it would measure only about 950 miles (1,500 kilometers) in diameter (the large sphere). Only about 3 percent of the world's water is fresh (the mid-sized sphere); and of that, only one-third is easily accessible to humans (the small sphere). Watch a video illustrating this surprising scarcity, explore the water cycle, and read more here.
Illustration by Jack Cook
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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