ABSTRACT
The global water cycle is shown in Figure 2.1. Approximately 97% is saline water in sea and oceans (1,338,000 thousand km3), leaving only 3% as freshwater. Approximately half of the freshwater is stored in glaciers and snow (exclud - ing Antarctica, 24,064 thousand km3), and a
After reading this chapter you should be able to:
n understand the global water cycle and its main components n describe each component of the water cycle and how it has changed over recent decades, and how
it is projected to change during this century n appreciate the importance of climate variability and extremes on the water cycle, and for the
provision of freshwater n describe the main uncertainties in the present-day and future global water cycle.
