Question

The amount of fresh water of the earth frozen as polar or glacial ice is
A. 0.5 %
B. 0.2 %
C. 0.1 %
D. 1.97 %
E. 2.5 %

Answer 1

Hint: Glacier ice is the largest reservoir of freshwater on earth and about three-quarters of earth’s freshwater is stored in the glaciers.

Complete answer: Earth has about 97 percent of the water that is present in oceans and it has about three percent of the freshwater present in glaciers, ice caps, below ground, and rivers.
Most of the freshwater that is not present below ground or in rivers is locked in the ice glaciers that is about 69 percent.
Therefore, 69 of the three percent is about two percent.
This much amount of freshwater is locked in glaciers and is not available for use.
Antarctica and Greenland have most of the glaciers.

Additional information: Some amount of freshwater that is about 30 percent is present below ground as soil moisture and is not accessible.
This freshwater can be stored underground for about months to 10000 years whereas the estimated residence time for glaciers is about 40-400 years.
Freshwater is necessary for life, supporting ecosystems and human civilizations.
We use freshwater in many activities daily life including food production, power generation, manufacturing, and sanitation.

Hence, the correct option is (D) 1.97 %

Note: Almost 71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water.
Most of the earth’s fresh water is locked up in the Antarctic sheets.