What is groundwater?

• A. Water vapor in the atmosphere
• B. Water found underground in cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock
• C. Water on the surface in rivers and lakes
• D. Water in clouds

Answer: (B)

Groundwater is water that fills the spaces in soil, sand, and rock below the Earth's surface. It forms when rain or melted snow infiltrates the ground and percolates downward until the pores and cracks become saturated. This underground water sits in aquifers and can move slowly through the material, often discharging at springs or being pumped from wells. Understanding groundwater also involves recognizing the boundary between the unsaturated zone above and the saturated zone below, called the water table. This underground water is different from water vapor in the atmosphere, surface water in rivers and lakes, or water in clouds, which are not stored underground.