UPSC Prelims 2021 · Question 62 of 97
UPSC Prelims 2021 question on Earths Water Distribution
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2021
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectGeography
- TopicOceanography
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeStatement
With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements:
1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater.
2. 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?
Show answer
Answer: B. 2 only
Verdict
Correct statements: 2 only → Option (b).
Analysis
Distribution of Earth's water shows that oceans hold ~96.5% of all water. Of the freshwater on Earth, glaciers and ice caps hold the largest portion (~68.7%), followed by groundwater (~30.1%), and then surface water (rivers, lakes) which is a very small fraction (~0.3% of freshwater).
Statement by statement
Statement 1 – INCORRECT: The amount of water in rivers and lakes is much less than the amount of groundwater. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
Statement 2 – CORRECT: The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers (~68.7% of freshwater) is more than the amount of groundwater (~30.1% of freshwater). Hence statement 2 is correct.