| Abstract: | Abstract The paper presents a compact picture of the occurrence of water on Earth, including the temporal development of water resources of the planet, the current water balance, and the future of water on Earth. In examining numerous standard hydrological references and new developments in quantification of the water resources of planet Earth, several corrections are proposed to the hydrological water balance of Earth. Particular attention is drawn to the areas of open water surfaces on land, which according to current estimates are much larger than reported in standard hydrological references. The paper stresses the need for improvements in our understanding of the hydrological cycle and presents several conclusions on the ways to improve this understanding and future visualizations of the water balance of Earth. |
