Final answer:
The correct answer is D, 80% of all freshwater on Earth is frozen or snow. This extensive amount of freshwater is primarily locked up in the form of ice and is not readily accessible for direct human use.
Step-by-step explanation:
About what percent of all freshwater on Earth is frozen or snow? This question refers to the distribution of Earth's freshwater. While approximately 3% of the Earth's water is freshwater, a substantial portion of this is not in a liquid form accessible for human use. Instead, most of the freshwater is frozen in glaciers, ice caps, and as snow, specifically on Greenland's ice sheets and in Antarctica. According to the figures provided, about 2.5% of water on Earth is fresh water, and the vast majority of that fresh water is contained in glaciers and ice caps.
The correct answer to the question is option D, which is 80% of all freshwater is actually frozen or snow, making it inaccessible for direct human consumption without some form of processing.
It's essential to understand that while our planet is primarily covered in water, most of it is saltwater found in the oceans, and the freshwater that does exist is mostly locked up in the form of ice. This fact highlights challenges for water management, access to drinking water, and potential impacts of climate change on global water availability.