Groundwater Aquifers - Introduction

Introduction

The term groundwaterWater that soaks into the ground and is stored in the small spaces between the rocks and soil. sounds as if it refers to an underground lake or river, but relatively little groundwater is found in this form. Groundwater lies below the surface of the land; in fact, it is almost everywhere underground. Mostly it is found in the tiny poresAn opening or space., or spaces, between rocks and particles of soil and in the cracks of larger rocks.

Where does groundwater come from? When rain falls, some of it flows along the surface of the ground into streams and lakes as runoffWater that does not soak into the ground or evaporate, but flows across the surface of the ground.. Some of the rain evaporates into the atmosphere, some is taken up by plant roots, and some seeps into the ground to become groundwater.