In the southern hemisphere, the Antarctic continent is covered with an even larger ice sheet.  The Antarctic continent is about 25% larger than the United States.  If this ice sheet were to melt entirely, global sea level would rise by about 70 meters.  About 80% of the planet’s

freshwater is locked up in this ice sheet.  The Greenland ice sheet contains about 9% of the planet’s freshwater, with the remainder being contained mostly in lakes and mountain glaciers.