Ways in which groundwater reaches the surface

Or, perhaps you built a snowman this very afternoon and perhaps you saw your snowman begin to melt. Regardless of your experience with snow and associated snowmelt, runoff from snowmelt is a major component of the global movement of water, possibly even if you live where it never snows.

For the water cycle to work, water has to get from the Earth's surface back up into the skies so it can rain back down and ruin your parade or water your crops or yard.

It is the invisible process of evaporation that changes liquid and frozen water into water-vapor gas, which then floats up into the skies to become clouds. The atmosphere is the superhighway in the sky that moves water everywhere over the Earth. Water at the Earth's surface evaporates into water vapor which rises up into the sky to become part of a cloud which will float off with the winds, eventually releasing water back to Earth as precipitation. The air is full of water, as water vapor, even if you can't see it.

Condensation is the process of water vapor turning back into liquid water, with the best example being those big, fluffy clouds floating over your head. And when the water droplets in clouds combine, they become heavy enough to form raindrops to rain down onto your head. You can't see it, but a large portion of the world's freshwater lies underground. It may all start as precipitation, but through infiltration and seepage, water soaks into the ground in vast amounts. Water in the ground keeps all plant life alive and serves peoples' needs, too.

Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's "natural" water cycle without human Runoff is nothing more than water "running off" the land surface. Just as the water you wash your car with runs off down the driveway as you work, the rain that Mother Nature covers the landscape with runs off downhill, too due to gravity.

Runoff is an important component of the natural water cycle. The importance of considering ground water and surface water as a single resource has become increasingly evident. Issues related to water supply, water quality, and degradation of aquatic environments are reported on frequently.

The interaction of ground water and surface water has been shown to be a significant concern in many of these issues Skip to main content. Search Search. Water Science School. Groundwater Flow and the Water Cycle. The Components of the Water Cycle Investigate each part of the water cycle adults and advanced students Learn more. Downloadable Water Cycle Products coming soon! Printable versions of our water-cycle diagrams and products.

Science Center Objects Overview Related Science Publications Yes, water below your feet is moving all the time, but, no, if you have heard there are rivers flowing below ground, that is not true.

Water vapor continues to combine with the water droplet until it is too heavy to stay in the sky any longer.

The water falls to the earth as precipitation , such as rain, hail, sleet, and snow. The rest of it soaks or percolates into the soil, called recharge. Wetlands can receive groundwater inflow, recharge the groundwater system, or do both. Wetlands that occupy depressions in the land surface have interactions with groundwater similar to lakes and streams. Unlike lakes and streams, wetlands do not always occupy low points and depressions in the landscape.

They also can be present on slopes such as fens or even on drainage divides such as some types of bogs. Wetland areas can also gain or lose water much like lakes. In areas of steep terrain, the water table sometimes intersects the land surface, resulting in groundwater discharge directly to the land surface.

If the discharge is a sustained flow, it is referred to as a spring. Conversely, if the rate of evaporation is nearly equal to the rate of delivery then it may only manifest as a wet patch, or seep.

The constant source of water to these features supports the growth of wetland vegetation. This is starting to be the case around the world.

Some of the largest sources of groundwater are being depleted in India, China, and the United States to the point where they cannot be replenished. Groundwater depletion occurs when the rate of groundwater extraction through wells is higher than the rate of replenish ment from precipitation. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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