Groundwater Information by Topic
Science Center Objects
Groundwater is one of our most valuable resources—even though you probably never see it or even realize it is there. There is water somewhere beneath your feet no matter where on Earth you live. Groundwater starts as precipitation, just as surface water does, and once water penetrates the ground, it continues moving, sometimes quickly and sometimes very slowly. Eventually groundwater emerges back to the surface and continues to participate in the global water cycle.
Learn About Groundwater
Groundwater Basics
- What is groundwater?
- Aquifers and groundwater
- Base flow and rivers
- Artesian water and artesian wells
- Drought and groundwater levels
- Groundwater flows underground
- Land subsidence
- Rivers contain groundwater
- Sinkholes
Humans and Groundwater
- Groundwater wells
- Groundwater decline and depletion
- Groundwater use in the United State
- How do hydrologists locate groundwater?
- Water dowsing
Groundwater Quality
- Groundwater quality
- Contamination of groundwater
- Contamination in U.S. private wells
- Pesticides in groundwater
Groundwater and the Water Cycle
- Groundwater flow and the water cycle
- Groundwater storage and the water cycle
- Infiltration and the water cycle
Activity Center and Resources