Which water body is called surface water?

• A. A glacier
• B. An underground aquifer
• C. A stream
• D. The ocean

Answer: (C)

Surface water is the water that sits on the surface of the land and is accessible as you move across the landscape—water in streams, rivers, lakes, and seas. It’s not stored underground, which is groundwater, and it isn’t frozen solid on the surface. A stream is a flowing body of freshwater found on the surface, making it a clear example of surface water. A glacier is solid ice on the surface, not liquid water. An underground aquifer holds water below the ground, so that’s groundwater. The ocean is water on the surface too, but when identifying a typical surface-water feature on land, a stream fits best.