Approximately what percentage of the surface of Earth is covered by water in the form of oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers?

Introduction / Context:
One of the most basic facts about planet Earth is that it is often called the blue planet because of the large amount of water visible from space. Understanding how much of the surface is covered by water versus land is a common question in geography and general science. This question asks for the approximate percentage of Earth surface that is covered with water.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Earth surface includes land (continents and islands) and water bodies (oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers).
• The exact percentage may vary slightly by source, but standard school values are used.
• The options give broad ranges such as 20 to 25 percent and 70 to 80 percent.
• We assume the commonly accepted figure that roughly three quarters of Earth surface is water.

Concept / Approach:
Satellite measurements and global mapping show that oceans dominate the surface of Earth. The commonly quoted figure is that about 71 percent of Earth surface is covered by water, while about 29 percent is land. This fits within the option range of 70 to 80 percent. The lower ranges in the other options are much smaller than the known coverage of the oceans and therefore cannot be correct. So the correct answer is the range that includes about 71 percent water coverage.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Maps and atlases that show Earth as a globe make it visually clear that oceans cover most of the surface area. Numerical data from oceanography and geography confirm that the area of the world ocean is about 361 million square kilometers, while land area is about 149 million square kilometers. When you compute the percentage, water occupies roughly 71 percent of the total surface, supporting the answer selected.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Twenty to twenty five percent is far too low, as it would suggest oceans are a minority of the surface, which contradicts observation.
• Forty to fifty percent still underestimates the true extent of water coverage.
• Fifty five to sixty percent is closer but still significantly below the accepted value of about 71 percent.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse the proportion of land and water on specific hemispheres or maps and may underestimate ocean coverage. Another mistake is mixing up land percentage with water percentage. A safe memory trick is that roughly three quarters of the Earth surface is water, and just under one third is land.

Final Answer:
About 70 to 80 percent of the surface is covered by water