A Catalog of Earth's Water Bodies: Oceans, Seas, Lakes, Rivers, and Ice

Water covers 71% of Earth. Here's a structured inventory of its major liquid (and solid) manifestations.

Oceans (5)

• Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic), Arctic.

Major Seas (Marginal & Mediterranean)

• Mediterranean, Caribbean, South China, Bering, Gulf of Mexico, Okhotsk, East China, Hudson Bay, Japan, Andaman.

Major Lakes (Surface Area)

• Caspian Sea (lake, 371,000 km²), Superior (82,100), Victoria (68,870), Huron (59,600), Michigan (58,000), Tanganyika (32,900), Baikal (31,500, deepest/oldest).

Major Rivers (Length/Discharge)

• Nile (6,650 km), Amazon (6,400 km, #1 discharge), Yangtze (6,300 km), Mississippi-Missouri (6,275 km), Yenisey (5,539 km).

Cryosphere (Solid Water)

• Ice Sheets: Antarctic (26.5M km³), Greenland (2.85M km³).
• Ice Caps/Fields: Patagonia, Canadian Arctic, Svalbard, Iceland (Vatnajökull).
• Glaciers: ~200,000 globally (alpine/valley).
• Permafrost: 23M km² ground ice.

Groundwater (aquifers) holds 30% of freshwater—more than all surface water combined. Atmospheric water (vapor, clouds) = 0.001% but drives the cycle.