End of Year Geography Quiz, Question 17:

[gh]

17. Roughly what percent of the Earth's surface is land? (I remember learning as a fraction as a kid, not a %)

[rasb]

1/5.

[mcgato]

1/3

[guru]

1/5.

Nope, and gh didn't specify if we're counting land buried by glaciers, because if all the glaciers on land melted, that would flood other coastal area.

Not trying to be difficult, but it's a bit of a trick question :wink:

[mcgato]

Dammit, I put a fraction. OK, using the clue from the previous question about 60 million land and 130 million sea, I get 31.5%. These last two questions should have been together.

[rasb]

Ice is not land ...... I stick with 1/5....and I know that is a fraction

[mcgato]

Double dammit, I didn't factor in lakes. Wasn't that an earlier question? Not to mention rivers, streams, etc. I'll stop here and agree with rasb, but put it in a percent as 20%.

I so want to be the first one to get one of these right. Knowledge of geography would probably help me though. I'm waiting for the end of year statistics quiz. Might get one or two of those right.

Sigh. I need a life.

[wineturtle]

Dammit, I put a fraction. OK, using the clue from the previous question about 60 million land and 130 million sea, I get 31.5%. These last two questions should have been together.

For some reason I am compelled to agree but I am closer to 30/70 in my mind
so if we are going to1/10s score me 30.6543879865431299003...%
on noon GMT 1jan2009



bonus- how much unfrozen fresh water

question of a life time-how long will it last

[gh]

I learned "4/5 water" from the time I was a toddler. But the "official" answer to this question is

<<17. 30 percent.>>

Since the question was phrased as "roughly," I think McGato's 31.5 is good enough!

[guru]

Ice is not land ......

True, BUT -

Some land, such as Antarctica and Greenland, is buried under hundreds and thousands of feet of ice, much as land under the sea is buried under hundreds and thousands of feet of water. IF all the ice melted on those land masses to expose the land, the water would cause the oceans to cover now-exposed coastal territory.

Like I said, complicated question.

[rasb]

You are a tough judge, GH!!!
Obviously, I grew up with the 1/5 formula as you did, coming both from the British Columbia School System.
By the way, I do know that 1/5 = 20 %.

[dukehjsteve]

rasb is getting screwed. His 1/5 should get full credit.