Water Resources
Types of Water Resources
Key concepts of water
100

This type of freshwater is found in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

What is surface water?

100

This vast body of salt water covers about 71% of the Earth's surface.

What is the ocean?

100

This is the term for water used in homes for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing.

What is domestic use?

200

Water stored beneath the Earth's surface in layers of rock and soil.

What is ground water?

200

These flowing bodies of freshwater move from higher to lower elevations and often lead to lakes or seas.

What are rivers?

200

Farmers rely on this type of water use to grow crops and raise livestock.

What is agricultural use?

300

About 97% of the Earth's water is this type, making it unsuitable for drinking without treatment.

What is salt water?

300

Found beneath the Earth's surface, this water is stored in porous rock layers called aquifers.

What is groundwater?

300

Factories and power plants use large amounts of water for cooling, processing, and manufacturing.

What is industrial use?

400

This type of water source is naturally replenished through the water cycle, including rainfall, rivers, and groundwater recharge.

What is renewable source?

400

These large, slow-moving masses of ice store most of the world’s freshwater.

What are glaciers?

400

This process is used to supply water to crops when there is not enough rainfall.

What is irrigation?

500

Even though it’s covered in ice, this continent is the driest on Earth because it receives very little precipitation.

What is Antarctica?

500

Formed when water collects in low areas, these bodies of freshwater can be natural or artificial.

What are lakes?

500

The contamination of water by chemicals, waste, or other harmful substances is known as this.

What is water pollution?