Earth's water vs land volume (shown in spheres) image?

January 10, 2008 1:09 PM

ISO: Photo-like diagram of the ratio of total volume of water to total volume of land on Earth. NOT the surface area - the TOTAL respective volumes of the planet.

I knew I should've saved it when it made the rounds the first time, now I can't find it.

It's a picture of two spheres comparing Earth's water vs. land composition. One sphere represents the total land mass, the other smaller blue one represents the total water mass.

Hope me?

posted by yoga to science & nature (9 comments total)

What parts of the earth do you consider "land"? Keep in mind that much of Earth's core is made of iron, and is not typically what one thinks of when hearing the word "land".
posted by burnmp3s at 1:18 PM on January 10

Is it this one - Adam Nieman's Visions of Science winner?
posted by Wolfdog at 1:21 PM on January 10 [2 favorites]

How do you measure "volume" for land?
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 1:25 PM on January 10

Yes Wolfdog, that's the one. Thanks!
posted by yoga at 1:26 PM on January 10

Looks about right. Radius of Earth = 6378000 m so volume of Earth = 1.08678129 × 10^21 m^3. Average depth of ocean over 3/4 of Earth's surface = 3800 m so it over the whole surface it would form a hollow sphere 2850 m thick. Subtract Earth's volume from that of the larger sphere to get a volume for the water of 1.45753101 × 10^18 m^3. The radius of a sphere of that volume would be 703358 m, a little over 1/10th the radius of the planet, as depicted.

I guess the little sphere on the globe on the right is supposed to be the volume of the atmosphere?
posted by nicwolff at 1:47 PM on January 10

Yep.
posted by nicwolff at 1:49 PM on January 10

Wow, that's actually more water than I expected.
posted by hattifattener at 2:33 PM on January 10

What an amazing illustration! Is there a higher-res version out there somewhere?
posted by ZakDaddy at 9:01 PM on January 10

*fixes running toilet*
posted by dhartung at 9:43 PM on January 10