Which process describes water moving across the land surface toward streams after rainfall?

Which process describes water moving across the land surface toward streams after rainfall?

• A. Runoff
• B. Infiltration
• C. Evaporation
• D. Condensation

Answer: (A)

Surface water movement across the land toward streams after rainfall is runoff. Runoff describes water that flows over the ground surface, usually downslope, and eventually enters streams or rivers. After a rain, some water infiltrates the soil, but when the rainfall is intense or the soil is already saturated, water cannot soak in quickly enough and instead moves across the surface, picking up speed and carrying along soil, nutrients, and pollutants. Infiltration is the process of water seeping into the soil, not moving across the surface toward streams. Evaporation is the loss of liquid water to the atmosphere from surfaces like soil or ponds, not a lateral movement toward streams. Condensation is water vapor turning into liquid in the air, such as cloud formation, and also does not describe surface flow toward waterways.

Surface water movement across the land toward streams after rainfall is runoff. Runoff describes water that flows over the ground surface, usually downslope, and eventually enters streams or rivers. After a rain, some water infiltrates the soil, but when the rainfall is intense or the soil is already saturated, water cannot soak in quickly enough and instead moves across the surface, picking up speed and carrying along soil, nutrients, and pollutants.

Infiltration is the process of water seeping into the soil, not moving across the surface toward streams. Evaporation is the loss of liquid water to the atmosphere from surfaces like soil or ponds, not a lateral movement toward streams. Condensation is water vapor turning into liquid in the air, such as cloud formation, and also does not describe surface flow toward waterways.