What percentage of the world's fresh water is located in Antarctica?

Antarctica contains approximately 70% of the world's fresh water, primarily in the form of ice. This vast amount of frozen water is stored in the Antarctic ice sheet, which is the largest single mass of ice on the planet. This significant percentage highlights the continent's crucial role in the global water supply and climate regulation.

The ice sheet is estimated to hold about 30 million cubic kilometers of ice, which, if melted, could substantially raise sea levels. Given the global distribution of fresh water, it is crucial to recognize that while other regions contain less overall fresh water, Antarctica's contribution is overwhelmingly large due to its ice reserves.

Understanding Antarctica's ice is essential not only for gauging fresh water availability but also for climate science, as changes in these ice reserves can have far-reaching implications for global sea levels and climate patterns.