Which statement about the hydrosphere is correct?

Which statement about the hydrosphere is correct?

• A. It includes water in clouds.
• B. It only includes freshwater.
• C. It includes all water on earth in all states and stores.
• D. It is limited to oceans.

Answer: (C)

The hydrosphere is the entire system of water on Earth, existing in every state (liquid, solid, gas) and in every place it can be stored—oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwater, glaciers and ice caps, and the water vapor in the atmosphere with clouds. That broad view is why describing it as including all water on Earth in all states and stores is the most accurate statement. Water in clouds is indeed part of it, but the hydrosphere also encompasses freshwater and saltwater in every other location, not just oceans.

The hydrosphere is the entire system of water on Earth, existing in every state (liquid, solid, gas) and in every place it can be stored—oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwater, glaciers and ice caps, and the water vapor in the atmosphere with clouds. That broad view is why describing it as including all water on Earth in all states and stores is the most accurate statement. Water in clouds is indeed part of it, but the hydrosphere also encompasses freshwater and saltwater in every other location, not just oceans.