It is common that many people, when observing the planet Earth, consider it to be, in fact, a "Water planet", since its surface is composed, in large part, of this substance. However, if we observe your volume, perhaps the world we inhabit does not deserve this consideration, since the Earth's interior, in addition to water, has a large amount of magma at different levels of temperature, consistency and density.
However, when we talk about water, we are talking about one of the elements that make our planet unique compared to currently known worlds by us in the universe, since its availability in liquid form in abundance is the main factor for the existence of life by on here.
THE water distribution in the world can be observed from the composition of that substance. Therefore, this feature may appear in a salted – present in oceans, seas and some lakes – and candy, referring to water that does not have a high density of salt in its composition. The latter, which is suitable for human consumption, can also be found in several subdivisions. In the chart below, we have an explanatory overview of this didactic organization:
Graph of the distribution of water in the terrestrial biosphere
With regard, therefore, to the distribution of water in the terrestrial biosphere, we can see that most of the water in the world is salted (97%) and is mainly concentrated in the oceans and seas, but also present in some saline lakes, such as the Aral Sea and the Dead Sea. This water is not usually used much for consumption or in irrigation and supply activities, except in places where water techniques are applied. water desalination, which, although useful for some countries, is not yet fully effective.
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The remaining 3% are formed by the fresh water, and most of them are suitable for consumption. However, of this total, almost 70% are found in polar ice caps, making them unfeasible for exploration and use. At groundwater (29% of fresh water), in turn, are the main source of water resources in the world, appearing in the water tables groundwater and aquifers, such as the Guarani Aquifer and also the Alter do Chão Aquifer, which have the capacity to absorb and filter the water. Rivers and lakes account for only 0.9% of all drinking water available in the world, but even thus they are an important source of obtaining this resource for many locations and need to be preserved.
If we talk, then, about the distribution of fresh water suitable for consumption between different parts of the surface terrestrial, that is, between the various locations, we can note how this distribution is naturally disproportionate. The Americas together account for 41% of all available water resources, followed by Asia – bigger and more inhabited continent – with 30%, by Africa with 10%, then Europe with 7%, Oceania with 5% and Antarctica with 5%.
It is worth remembering that, within these continental masses, there are also disparities, so that some areas have water scarcity problems such as North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and some other regions of the planet. This factor is aggravated by the pollution of rivers and underground reserves, in addition to the depletion of other elements that maintain the planet's natural balance.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
