Estimate

Frozen freshwater

Probability:
68.7%
Odds:
2.2 to 1
dBan
+3.4 dBan

Most of Earth’s freshwater is locked away as ice or permanent snow: about 68.7% by water-equivalent volume.

Calculation

p ≈ 68.7% of Earth’s freshwater volume

Assumptions

The denominator excludes oceans. The percentage is an estimate of reservoir volumes in water-equivalent units.

Sources

  1. USGS Water Science School: ice, snow, glaciers and the water cycle freshwater distribution table citing Gleick 1996