Final answer:
Nearly all of the Earth's fresh water that is accessible to humans and not bound in ice is known as groundwater. It represents a small fraction of the world's total water but is crucial for our daily use.
Step-by-step explanation:
Almost all of the Earth's fresh water not trapped in glacial ice is known as groundwater. While the Earth's surface is over 70% water, less than three percent is fresh water. Of this small fraction, the vast majority is contained within glaciers and ice caps. This means that the largest reservoir of fresh water that is actually accessible and usable by humans is groundwater.
This is because much of the fresh water in the form of glaciers and ice caps is too remote and hence, not a practical water source for daily use. Conversely, groundwater can be found in aquifers, which are underground layers of rock that are saturated with water and can be tapped into for human use. Despite this, groundwater only represents a small fraction of the Earth’s total water supply.