1 3.1. HYDROSPHERE – STRUCTURE AND THE UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF THE FRESHWATER IN EUROPE. Water at the Earth is basically necessary for life. Since 2/3 of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. The Earth is also called the blue planet or the watery planet....
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1 3.1. HYDROSPHERE – STRUCTURE AND THE UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF THE FRESHWATER IN EUROPE. Water at the Earth is basically necessary for life. Since 2/3 of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. The Earth is also called the blue planet or the watery planet. The hydrosphere (from Greek ὕδωρ - hydōr, "water" and σφαῖρα - sphaira, "sphere") in physical geography describes the combined mass of water found on, under, and over the surface on the Earth. The estimated water resources are 1386 million cubic kilometres of water. This includes water in liquid and frozen forms in groundwater, glaciers, oceans, lakes and streams. Saltwater accounts for 97.5% of total amount of water. Fresh water accounts for only 2.5%. Of this fresh water 68.7% is in the "form of ice and permanent snow cover in the Arctic, the Antarctic, and in the mountainous regions. Next, 29.9% exists as fresh groundwater. Only 0.26% of the total amount of fresh waters on planet Earth is easily accessible. It is found in lakes, r
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