Question
UPSC Prelims 2021 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?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 2: 2 only
Detailed Solution
Explanation:
- The following table gives details about Water on the Earth’s surface –
|
Water Body |
Volume (Million Cubic km) |
Percentage of the Total |
|
Oceans Ice Caps and Glaciers Groundwater Lakes Soil Moisture Atmosphere Streams and Rivers Biosphere |
1,370 29 9.5 0.125 0.065 0.013 0.0017 0.0006 |
97.25 2.05 0.68 0.01 0.005 0.001 0.0001 0.00004 |
- Thus, the correct decreasing order in terms of water retention is – Icecaps and Glaciers > Groundwater > Lakes > Soil Moisture > Streams and Rivers. So, statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct.
Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.
Subject: Geography | Water Resources
Latest UPSC Exam 2026 Updates
Last updated on March, 2026
