Have you ever looked at a globe or a map and noticed how much of it is blue? That’s because about 70% of Earth is covered in water! But not all water is the same. Water can be found in many forms and places, and scientists group them into what we call bodies of water. Let’s take a look at some of the main kinds, and learn the differences between each type!

Oceans: The Largest of them All

Oceans are the largest bodies of water on Earth. They are made of salt water and cover most of the Earth’s surface. There are five main oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic.

Oceans are insanely deep, the deepest spot on Earth is the Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean. Oceans also affect our weather and climate by moving heat around the globe through ocean currents. They are home to millions of species, from microscopic plankton to the giant blue whale.

Lakes: Water surrounded by land

Lakes are large bodies of freshwater (though some can be salty) that are completely surrounded by land. Unlike oceans, lakes don't have tides or strong waves. They can be formed naturally or created by people, like reservoirs .

One famous group of lakes is the Great Lakes in North America. Lakes are important habitats for fish, birds, and other wildlife. People often enjoy activities like swimming, fishing, and boating on lakes. These lakes hold about 20% of the world’s freshwater!

Rivers: Flowing Freshwater Paths

Rivers are moving bodies of freshwater that usually begin in the mountains or hills. Rivers travel across land and eventually empty into larger lakes, seas, or oceans. They are important sources of water for drinking, agriculture, and energy.

Famous rivers include the Amazon in South America (the largest by volume) and the Nile in Africa (the longest). Rivers also help shape land by erosion, carrying soil and rocks as they move.

Streams/Brooks

Streams and brooks are smaller than rivers but still play a big role in the environment. They are narrow, flowing bodies of freshwater that often feed into larger rivers or lakes. These small waterways are important for local ecosystems and can be home to fish, insects, and plants .

Glaciers

Glaciers are large, slow-moving bodies of ice formed from compacted snow. They store nearly 70% of the world’s freshwater. When they melt, they feed rivers and lakes. Glaciers are found in places like Antarctica, Greenland, and high mountain ranges.

Something important to note though, is the melting of glaciers as of recent. Glaciers are like giant frozen rivers made of snow and ice. They form over many years in very cold places. But today, because the Earth is getting warmer, glaciers are melting faster than they can grow back. This is happening because of climate change, which is caused mostly by humans burning fossil fuels (like gas, coal, and oil). These fuels release gases like carbon dioxide into the air, which trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, kind of like a giant blanket. And while these glaciers are are a major source of water, their melting causes rising sea levels, less freshwater, changing habitats, and overall faster global warming. In places like Greenland and Antarctica, scientists have measured how fast glaciers are shrinking. Some glaciers have lost billions of tons of ice in just one year!