Question

More than 70% of world's freshwater is contained in

• A. polar ice
• B. glaciers and mountains
• C. Antartica
• D. Greenland.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The question asks which location contains more than 70% of the world's freshwater. Let's explore the options:

• Polar Ice: This is a general term referring to the frozen water located at the Earth's poles. The polar regions, especially Antarctica and Greenland, are known to hold significant amounts of freshwater in the form of ice.
• Glaciers and Mountains: While glaciers and mountain ice caps store substantial amounts of freshwater, they do not account for the majority when considered globally.
• Antarctica: This continent alone contains the majority of the Earth's freshwater due to its vast ice sheet, which covers about 14 million square kilometers.
• Greenland: Greenland holds a large ice sheet, second to Antarctica, but it alone does not account for over 70% of the world's freshwater.

Upon examining these options, it's clear that polar ice, which includes both Antarctica and Greenland, comprises over 70% of the world's freshwater when accounted together. Antarctica alone holds about 60% of the Earth's freshwater, and if we consider the combined polar regions, the percentage exceeds 70%. Therefore, the correct answer is polar ice.