Where is most of the Earth's fresh water stored?

The assertion that most of the Earth's fresh water is stored in glaciers and ice caps is accurate, as these vast ice formations account for approximately 68.7% of the Earth's fresh water supply. These ice reserves are crucial for maintaining global water cycles and provide seasonal runoff that feeds rivers and lakes when they melt.

While groundwater aquifers hold a significant amount of fresh water, accounting for about 30% of the Earth’s fresh water, and rivers and lakes, along with atmospheric humidity, represent much smaller fractions of total fresh water, they do not compare to the volume stored in glaciers. Thus, glaciers and ice caps are key players in the Earth's hydrology, serving as long-term reserves of fresh water that significantly influence environmental and climate conditions. This understanding underscores the importance of glaciers and ice caps in both water resource management and climate change discussions.