L12 ES Homework

What percentage of Earth's water is fresh water, and where is the majority of it stored?

• 97%, in oceans

• 3%, in polar ice caps, snowpacks, and glaciers

• 3%, in rivers and lakes

• 70%, in underground aquifers

Which factors influence the rate of evaporation at the ocean surface?

• Ocean depth and salinity

• Sea surface temperature, surface winds, and air temperature

• Atmospheric pressure and cloud cover

• Lunar cycles and ocean currents

How do clouds and water vapor influence Earth's climate?

• They primarily reflect all sunlight back into space, cooling the Earth.

• They act as insulators, shielding the Earth from the sun and trapping heat from below.

• They absorb all heat, preventing it from reaching the Earth's surface.

• They have no significant impact on Earth's climate.

Where is water stored after it falls as precipitation on land?

• Only in rivers and streams, quickly flowing back to the ocean.

• In snowpacks, lakes, reservoirs, soils, and underground aquifers.

• Exclusively in plant roots and the water table.

• It immediately evaporates back into the atmosphere.