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 than the amount of groundwater. 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?

Question

GSMediumPrelims 2021Physical Geography

With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements:

The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater.
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

Statement 1 is incorrect. When we consider the distribution of water on Earth, we find that the amount of water in rivers and lakes is actually less than the amount of groundwater. This is because groundwater is stored in the Earth's crust, in the pores and spaces between rocks and soil, and it accounts for a significant portion of the Earth's fresh water. On the other hand, rivers and lakes, while visible and important for many ecosystems, actually hold a relatively small amount of the Earth's total water.

Earth's Water Distribution

Statement 2 is correct. The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is indeed more than the amount of groundwater. This is because these ice caps and glaciers, particularly those in Antarctica and Greenland, hold the majority of the Earth's fresh water.