Where can water be found?

Water can be found everywhere on earth, as most of the earth consists of water; namely the oceans. On land water cannot only be found in taps and toilets, but also outside the house in streams, lakes, wetlands and reservoirs. This is called surface water.
What we cannot see with our own eyes is that water can also be found in the ground, this is called groundwater. Groundwater is rainwater that infiltrates into the soil and is stored in pores. The soil consists of different layers, the so-called aquifers, that all contain certain amounts of water. The layer that consists mainly of groundwater is called the saturation layer. When rain falls the saturation layer will grow wider as a result of an expanding amount of groundwater.
Finally water can be found in gaseous state in the sky as moist or in cloud form.

How does the water cycle work?

Click here for a schematic representation of the water cycle

How does water spread through the ground?

The ground is made up of different types of layers vertically, called the aquifers. Groundwater spreads through the ground horizontally; it moves from the area of infiltration through an aquifer and out to a discharge area, as a part of the water cycle. This can be a well, a lake, a stream or even an ocean. Groundwater normally moves from points of high elevation and pressure to points of lower elevation and pressure. This movement is quite slow, typically only 1 meter or so per year and rarely more than 0.3 meter per day.

For water terminology check out our Water Glossary or go back to water FAQ overview

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