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Environment & Ecology2021
With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements:
  1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more
  2. The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is
more than the amount of groundwater. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Explanation

The correct option is "2 Only" because the vast majority of Earth's freshwater is stored as groundwater, constituting approximately 30.1% of the total freshwater available, which is significantly more than the water found in rivers and lakes, which contains only about 0.3% of freshwater. In contrast, the amount of water trapped in polar ice caps and glaciers is substantial, estimated to be around 68.7% of the total freshwater supply, thus exceeding the amount of groundwater. This highlights the critical importance of understanding the distribution of freshwater resources in the context of water management and climate change.

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