The Earth's Surface: More Water or Land?

When people ask if there is more land or water on Earth, the answer often depends on whether we are considering the earth's surface or its volume. Indeed, the commonly cited statistic is that about 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, primarily in the form of oceans. However, given the vast extent of underwater landmasses, this can be a misleading summary.

Surface vs. Volume: What's the Real Story?

When we look at the surface area of the Earth, the majority is indeed covered by water. Based on NASA data, approximately 70.8% of the Earth's surface is water-covered, with about 96.5% of that being in the form of oceans. The remaining 326 million cubic miles of water includes freshwater from rivers, lakes, and glaciers, which make up only 3.5% of the Earth's total water volume.

Land, on the other hand, occupies about 57.5 million square miles, accounting for just 29.2% of the Earth's surface. However, this land is not evenly distributed. Much of it is covered by oceans, and almost 71% of the Earth's land is found below the waterline, contributing to the predominantly aquatic surface appearance.

The Earth's Lithosphere: Sediments and Crystalline Rocks

The Earth's crust, also known as the lithosphere, consists of sediments and crystalline rocks with a total mass of 23000–24000 × 1015 metric tons. This crust has a width ranging from 50 to 200 kilometers and extends to the top of the upper mantle. Despite its importance, the lithosphere only accounts for a small fraction of the Earth's overall mass.

Furthermore, the Earth’s total volume of water is estimated at 1.386 billion cubic kilometers (333 million cubic miles), with 97.5% being salt water and only 2.5% being freshwater. Of this freshwater, only 0.3% is in liquid form on the surface. An often-overlooked fact is that there is additional freshwater stored in the Earth's crust in a mineral called ringwoodite, adding to the overall volume of accessible fresh water.

The Actual Distribution of Land and Water

So, there is more water than land on Earth. The vast majority of this water is found in the oceans, with freshwater sources like rivers, lakes, and glaciers accounting for just a small fraction of the total water volume. The landmass we see is merely the tip of the iceberg, with much of it submerged beneath the ocean's surface.

Interestingly, despite the apparent water coverage, there is a surprising fact: no matter where you are in the ocean, you are never more than five kilometers from land. This is due to the relatively small proportion of land compared to the vast coverage of water.

Thus, while the Earth may appear to be predominantly water-covered from space, when we consider the actual landmass above the water, it is indeed more vast than we might initially think. This highlights the complex interplay between land and water on our planet and emphasizes the importance of understanding the true extent of our resources and environment.