Above or beneath the Earth’s surface, all the water found in solid, liquid and gaseous states is considered as part of the hydrosphere. This refers to Ocean (71% of the Earth’s surface area), lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice, glaciers, snow, rain and atmospheric vapour (99.999% of the water mass on the planet). The hydrosphere is an integral component of the Earth’s interconnected systems, by influencing the Earth’s climate and supporting all of the known forms of life.