Water is stored in the following places: The lithosphere (the solid outer crust and upper mantle). In oceanic crust it is stored within the rock structure which it is composed of and in continental crust it is also found in rocks, minerals, and also in clay and as groundwater.

What does the lithosphere contain?

The lithosphere is the solid, outer part of the Earth. The lithosphere includes the brittle upper portion of the mantle and the crust, the outermost layers of Earth's structure. It is bounded by the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere (another part of the upper mantle) below.

Where is water in the lithosphere?

Water can flow through the lithosphere into underground aquifers but this transfer may be relatively slow, often taking many years. Some water is stored within bedding planes, joints and pores in rocks and can remain there for hundreds of years.