According to the global water budget, what is the key difference between total precipitation over land and over oceans?

Correct answer: Most of Earth’s precipitation, about 80%, falls directly over the oceans

Correct answer: B. Oceans cover roughly 71% of Earth’s surface and contain the largest active reservoir of water. Consequently, most global evaporation and precipitation occur over the oceans. A commonly used approximate water-budget description places about four-fifths of total precipitation over oceans and the remaining smaller share over land; the exact percentage can vary slightly by source and estimate. Land nevertheless receives substantial precipitation, and evaporation and transpiration return water vapour to the atmosphere. Option A is obviously false because rainfall occurs widely over land. Option C is false because the areas and moisture exchanges are not equal. Option D is false because land water evaporates and also enters the atmosphere through plant transpiration. Memory cue: the ocean dominates the global water budget; land receives less precipitation but can have a net surplus relative to evaporation in many estimates.