<p>There really isn't a lot of water on the Earth. The image below, from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/where-earths-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects" rel="noreferrer">USGS science school</a>, graphically illustrates the volume of the water on (and in) the crust of the Earth, relative to the volume of everything else.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/SQqmi.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SQqmi.jpg" alt="water on Earth"></a></p>

<p>The bigger blue ball is all the salt water, from all the oceans &amp; seas, the small one is all the fresh water, from the rivers, lakes and aquifers. You may need to zoom in to see the fresh water ball...</p>

<p>There is more water dissolved in the mantle, but we can't get at it (with current technology), apart from what's released in volcanic eruptions. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-17T06:07:56.820Z
2019-04-17T06:07:56.820Z
PM 2Ring
<p>Why is Earth called a terrestrial planet even though it is 70% covered by water?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-17T00:17:59.527Z
Because it's still quite dry, from a geochemical perspective. That bit of water on the surface doesn't impress a geochemist at all, as the four inner planets have similar bulk makeup, that's what counts and gives the classification name.
AtmosphericPrisonEscape
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-17T06:38:21.293Z
"terrestrial" comes from the word "Terra", which means "Earth"
John Dvorak
<galaxy><earth>
Why is the Earth called terrestrial? Can we call the Earth an ocean planet?
roblox prisonlife
# Why is the Earth called terrestrial? Can we call the Earth an ocean planet?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-16)

Why is Earth called a terrestrial planet even though it is 70% covered by water?

**Tags:** galaxy, earth

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Because it's still quite dry, from a geochemical perspective. That bit of water on the surface doesn't impress a geochemist at all, as the four inner planets have similar bulk makeup, that's what counts and gives the classification name.  
> **username_2**: "terrestrial" comes from the word "Terra", which means "Earth"  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-04-17. Score: 10

There really isn't a lot of water on the Earth. The image below, from the [USGS science school](https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/where-earths-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects), graphically illustrates the volume of the water on (and in) the crust of the Earth, relative to the volume of everything else.

[![water on Earth](https://i.sstatic.net/SQqmi.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/SQqmi.jpg)

The bigger blue ball is all the salt water, from all the oceans & seas, the small one is all the fresh water, from the rivers, lakes and aquifers. You may need to zoom in to see the fresh water ball...

There is more water dissolved in the mantle, but we can't get at it (with current technology), apart from what's released in volcanic eruptions.


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