Final answer:
The majority of Earth's water is saltwater found in oceans, making up about 97% of total water. Most of the freshwater is in glaciers and ice caps, and a significant portion is in groundwater, leaving less than 1% readily available to humans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The majority of the water found on Earth is saltwater in oceans. Earth's oceans contain around 97% of the planet's total water volume. Freshwater, which represents just about 3% of Earth's water, is mainly trapped in the form of ice in glaciers and ice sheets, with a significant portion also present as groundwater in aquifers. Groundwater alone represents a much larger reservoir of usable fresh water than that of rivers and lakes combined. This high concentration of water in oceans and ice caps leaves less than 1% of the world's freshwater readily available for human consumption.