Final answer:
The claim that Antarctica holds about 90% of Earth's ice is true, with its ice sheet containing approximately 70% of the planet's fresh water.
Therefore, the correct answer is: option 'true'.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antarctica, the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole, is a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass.
The statement that Antarctica currently stores about 90% of the Earth's ice is true. The continent's vast ice sheet is more than a mile thick on average and contains about 70% of the earth's fresh water.
Despite Antarctica's massive amount of ice, the continent is classified as a desert due to its low precipitation levels.
In the context of climate change, an increase in global temperatures could lead to the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet, which would significantly raise sea levels and affect coastal regions worldwide.
Antarctica is also home to several sub-glacial lakes, such as Lake Vostok, which sits two miles below the ice sheet and is comparable in size to Lake Ontario.
If the Antarctic ice sheet were to melt completely, the landmass of Antarctica would be substantially smaller, primarily composed of mountain ranges and islands, and comparable in land area to the state of Colorado.