The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on Earth at 386,000 km² (149,000 mi²). Lake Paratethys, which existed twelve million years ago between the Alps and Kazakhstan, covered 2.8 million km², more than seven times that size. It held more water than every modern lake combined, had its own miniature whale species, and eventually broke apart into the Caspian, the Black Sea, and the Aral Sea.
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Five years ago, I made a stylized Great Islands map. Recently I found Stephen Kennedy’s version, and it got me thinking about what actually lives in these lakes. When you see them as islands, you remember they’re not just water—they’re ecosystems packed with life.
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Water resources on our planet follow uneven paths. The Amazon River alone moves more water than the next seven largest rivers combined.
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Groundwater might be out of sight, but it’s central to everything from farming to clean drinking water. This post dives into where it’s found, how it moves, and why managing it wisely is becoming more urgent in a changing climate.
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The rivers of North America are diverse and dynamic, ranging from the mighty Mississippi and its extensive basin to the vast, icy waters of the Mackenzie. They shape the continent’s landscapes, support rich ecosystems, and serve as crucial resources for human activities. These rivers vary greatly in length, flow rate, and basin size, reflecting the continent’s wide range of climates and geographies.
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Dive into the salty world of ocean salinity! This post explores how salt concentrations vary across our planet’s seas, featuring world maps that reveal fascinating patterns. Learn about the saltiest bodies of water, how salinity has changed over time, and why this matters for our planet’s climate and ecosystems.
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London was historically crisscrossed by numerous rivers and streams that played a crucial role in its development and growth. However, as the city expanded, many of rivers were covered, redirected, or built over. It is estimated that there were about 20 significant rivers that have been covered or built over in London.
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71% of the surface of our planet is covered in water, with 96.5 percent of that being the world ocean. There are 5 oceans, more than 177 million lakes, and 76 rivers that are more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) long.
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The Great Lakes are the most extensive freshwater system globally (94,600 sq mi / 244,000 sq km). The Lakes contain 5,400 cu mi (22,500 cu km) of surface freshwater on earth or 6 quadrillion gallons of freshwater (22.7 quadrillion liters), accounting for about 21% of the world’s surface freshwater or 84% of North America’s surface freshwater.
Using Digital Elevation Model data, I made the map of the Great Lakes in watercolor style.
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States like Michigan have an abundance of water resources, while others like New Mexico have very little. This is revealed by a thorough analysis of U.S. Census Tracts. This distribution affects the quality of the water and presents problems for water management in the future.
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