ABSTRACT
The hydrosphere, with a strong influence on the pedosphere, comprises the sum total of all water bodies (oceans, rivers, lakes), groundwater (renewable and fossil), and soil water. Although water is the most abundant of all resources covering 70% of the earth’s surface, freshwater is a scarce resource. The data in Table 9.1 indicate that 97.2% (volume basis) of the world water is in oceans and seas (1370 M Km3). Freshwater accounts for merely 2.8% of the total volume, of which groundwater is 0.6%, and soil water accounts for less than 0.1% of the total (Fig. 9.1).
