With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements:The amount of wat

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2021 UPSC Prelims Geography paper.

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This UPSC Prelims 2021 Geography question has a medium difficulty level.

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Question

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?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: B — 2 onlyStep-by-step Solution:Distribution of Earth's water (approximate percentages of total water):Oceans: 97.5%Freshwater: 2.5%Of freshwater: Glaciers and ice caps: ~68.7%Groundwater: ~30.1%Surface water (lakes, rivers, etc.): ~1.2% (rivers and lakes together are a tiny fraction)Statement 1: Incorrect. Groundwater is much more abundant (30.1% of freshwater) than rivers and lakes (1.2% of freshwater). ✗Statement 2: Correct. Polar ice caps and glaciers contain about 68.7% of all freshwater, which is more than groundwater (30.1%). ✓Why other options are incorrect:Option A (1 only): Statement 1 is false.Option C (Both): Statement 1 is false.Option D (Neither): Statement 2 is true.Key Concept: India's groundwater resources are heavily exploited, leading to depletion. The largest freshwater store on Earth is in ice sheets (Antarctica and Greenland). Only about 0.3% of Earth's total water is easily accessible surface freshwater.

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