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The mass of Earth's oceans is estimated to be 1.37 × 10 21 kg, which is 0.023% of the total mass of Earth, 6.0 × 10 24 kg. An additional 5.0 × 10 20 kg of water is estimated to exist in ice, lakes, rivers, groundwater, and atmospheric water vapor. [20] A significant amount of water is also stored in Earth's crust, mantle, and core.
Empedocles also proved (at least to his own satisfaction) that air was a separate substance by observing that a bucket inverted in water did not become filled with water, a pocket of air remaining trapped inside. [10] Fire, earth, air, and water have become the most popular set of classical elements in modern interpretations.
This type of gas loss from a planet into space is known as planetary wind. [151] Such a process over geologic time causes water-rich planets such as the Earth to evolve into planets like Venus. [152] Additionally, planets with hotter lower atmospheres could accelerate the loss rate of hydrogen. [153]
Water can be polluted, abused, and misused but it is neither created nor destroyed, it only migrates. There is no evidence that water vapor escapes into space." [12]: 26 Every year the turnover of water on Earth involves 577,000 km 3 of water. This is water that evaporates from the oceanic surface (502,800 km 3) and from land (74,200 km 3).
The inner Solar System's period of giant impacts probably played a role in Earth acquiring its current water content (~6 × 10 21 kg) from the early asteroid belt. Water is too volatile to have been present at Earth's formation and must have been subsequently delivered from outer, colder parts of the Solar System. [63]
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This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all of Earth's water is contained in its global ocean, covering 70.8% of Earth's crust. The remaining 29.2% of Earth's crust is land, most of which is located in the form of continental landmasses within Earth's land hemisphere.
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