> 1.74% of total water on earth That is still a lot of water, and the phase change is a terrific heat reservoir. It takes a comparable amount of energy to melt

> 1.74% of total water on earth That is still a lot of water, and the phase change is a terrific heat reservoir. It takes a comparable amount of energy to melt water from -1 to 1 degrees, as it does to bring the water from 1 degrees up to 99 degrees.