Million Whys Press logo
Million Whys PressToronto
← Book 24 videos

Book 24, Question 15 · Video

Where does rainwater go when it soaks into the ground?

Video · 1:54 · Crafty Clover explains, from A Million Whys Book 24

Some rain runs along the surface into streams. Some soaks into the soil, where roots take it up or the soil holds it in tiny gaps. The rest keeps sinking through the layers until it joins the groundwater below. From there it moves slowly sideways through the rock and soil, and may return to a spring, a stream, or a lake.

Read the full answer →

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Where does rainwater go when it soaks into the ground?

The Big Idea

When rain falls, it goes on a journey. Some runs away, some soaks in, and some sinks deep. Let's follow the water!

Running Off

Step one: Running Off. Some rain runs along the surface into streams. This is called runoff.

Soaking In

Step two: Soaking In. Some soaks into the soil, where roots take it up. The soil holds some of it in tiny gaps.

Sinking Deep

Step three: Sinking Deep. The rest keeps sinking through the layers until it joins the groundwater below. From there, it moves slowly sideways and may return to a spring, a stream, or a lake.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! Rain falls on the land. Roots drink some of it. Some becomes groundwater. Some comes back out at a spring.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Water moving through the ground might take days, or thousands of years, to come back out. Pavement does not let rain soak in, so it runs into storm drains. A big tree can drink lots of water from the soil. Plants and puddles send water back up into the air.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Put a sponge on a tray. Pour water on it slowly. Watch how much the sponge holds. Measure how much flows out onto the tray. How is the sponge like the ground?

Outro

When rain soaks into the ground, some feeds plant roots, some is held in tiny gaps, and some sinks down to become groundwater that slowly flows back to springs, streams, and lakes. Science is amazing! Keep asking questions! The more you look around, the more wonders you will find, so keep your eyes open! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!

Why I wrote this