Surface Water and Groundwater

Groundwater

Surface Water

  1. Water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock.

1.Water that collects on the surface of the ground.

  1. The top layer of a body of water.

Distribution of surface water

Infiltration

Streams can flow into rivers.

Small rivers can flow into larger rivers.

Lakes can flow into streams.

Large rivers can flow into the ocean.

Uses of surface water

Public Supply

Rural Domestic and Livestock

Irrigation

Thermoelectric Power

Other Industry

Hydroelectric

Watershed

An area of land to which all the precipitation that falls in that location drains, such as into a river or stream.

  1. Permeation of a liquid into something by filtration.

Aquifer

An aquifer is a large underground reservoir of water.

Water table

The level below which the ground is saturated with water.

Effects of Groundwater

The movement of water underground can cause various surface and subsurface features to form. One dramatic effect is when groundwater creates vast systems of underground caves.