Chapter 19, Problem 1RQ

To determine

The groundwater and its location on Earth.

Answer to Problem 1RQ

Groundwater is water present beneath the surface of the Earth in the pore spaces of sediments and rock.

Explanation of Solution

Groundwater is the liquid water residing in the pore spaces of soil or rock formation under the Earth’s surface. The surface water of the Earth such as rivers, lakes, stream, glaciers, marshes, and ocean is visible easily as it resides on the surface, likewise the atmospheric water present in the cloud pours as rain. The groundwater is a hidden reserve that lies beneath the surface and hence, it is also called the subsurface water.

This hidden reserve contains about $5,600,000{\text{ mi}}^3\left(23,400,000{\text{ km}}^{\text{3}}\right)$ of water, which is approximately $123$ times of the water as much as the combined quantity of water present in all the visible lakes, rivers, and swamps. Thus, the groundwater accounts for about two-thirds of the global freshwater resources on the Earth used by agriculture, homes, and industry.