Explain how water infiltrates the ground to become groundwater.

Question

A.Water seeps into impermeable layers of rock, where it stays forever.

B.Water flows from rivers and lakes directly into the groundwater supply.

C.Water from rain or snow seeps into the soil and moves through permeable layers.

D.Water evaporates into the air and falls back into the ground as groundwater.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

C. Water from rain or snow seeps into the soil and moves through permeable layers.

Here's a brief explanation of the process:

When it rains or when snow melts, the water seeps into the ground through the soil. This process of infiltration occurs when water moves down through the unsaturated zone—which is the layer of soil above the water table—allowing it to pass through permeable materials such as sand and gravel. As the water moves deeper, it eventually reaches the saturated zone, where all the voids are filled with water, thus becoming groundwater.

The other options provided do not accurately represent the process of groundwater formation:

• A is incorrect because groundwater does not stay in impermeable layers; it is stored in aquifers that can be permeable.
• B is misleading as while river and lake water can influence groundwater levels, they do not directly flow into it the way infiltration from precipitation does.
• D is incorrect, as evaporation does not lead to groundwater formation; rather, evaporated water enters the atmosphere and must then fall as precipitation again to contribute to groundwater.