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?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect and Statement 2 is correct
- Groundwater constitutes a much larger share of Earth’s freshwater than rivers and lakes, as it is stored within the pores and spaces of rocks and soil beneath the surface. In contrast, rivers and lakes, though visible and ecologically significant, contain only a small fraction of total water. Even more freshwater is stored in polar ice caps and glaciers—especially in Antarctica and Greenland—which together hold the largest portion of Earth’s freshwater.
