▁found ▁mostly ▁in ▁o ce ans ▁and ▁other ▁large ▁bodies ▁of ▁water , ▁with ▁ 1 . 6 % ▁of ▁water ▁below ▁ground ▁in ▁aqu if ers ▁and ▁ 0 . 0 0 1 % ▁in ▁the ▁air ▁as ▁v apor , ▁clouds , ▁and ▁precip itation . ▁O ce ans ▁hold ▁ 9 7 % ▁of ▁surface ▁water , ▁gla ci ers , ▁and ▁polar ▁ice ▁caps ▁ 2 . 4 %, ▁and ▁other ▁land ▁surface ▁water ▁such ▁as ▁rivers , ▁la kes , ▁and ▁p onds ▁ 0 . 6 %. ▁Additionally , ▁a ▁minute ▁amount ▁of ▁the ▁Earth ' s ▁water ▁is ▁contained ▁within ▁bi ological ▁bodies ▁and ▁manufact ured ▁products . ▁ ▁O ce ans ▁ ▁An ▁ocean ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁body ▁of ▁sal ine ▁water , ▁and ▁a ▁principal ▁component ▁of ▁the ▁hyd ros phere . ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 7 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁Earth ' s ▁surface ▁( an ▁area ▁of ▁some ▁ 3 6 1 ▁million ▁square ▁kilom eters ) ▁is ▁covered ▁by ▁ocean , ▁a ▁continuous ▁body ▁of ▁water ▁that ▁is ▁custom arily ▁divided ▁into ▁several ▁principal ▁o ce ans ▁and ▁smaller ▁se as . ▁More ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁this ▁area ▁is ▁over ▁ ▁deep . ▁A verage ▁ocean ic ▁sal inity ▁is ▁around ▁ 3 5 ▁parts ▁per ▁thousand ▁( pp t ) ▁( 3 . 5 % ), ▁and ▁nearly ▁all ▁se aw ater ▁has ▁a ▁sal inity ▁in ▁the ▁range ▁of ▁ 3 0 ▁to ▁ 3 8 ▁p pt .