Rainfall that is not absorbed by soil and travels to the ocean is called?

Study for the ACAP 4th Grade Science Test. Learn with interactive quizzes and multiple-choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Get ready to excel!

Multiple Choice

Rainfall that is not absorbed by soil and travels to the ocean is called?

Explanation:
Runoff is rainfall that isn’t soaked into the ground and instead flows across the surface into streams, rivers, and ultimately the ocean. This happens when the soil can’t absorb water fast enough—like when it’s already full or when the surface is hard or paved. Infiltration is the process of water seeping into the soil, while percolation is the deeper movement of that water down toward groundwater, and condensation is when water vapor in the air cools and becomes liquid. So when water moves over the land toward the sea, it’s runoff.

Runoff is rainfall that isn’t soaked into the ground and instead flows across the surface into streams, rivers, and ultimately the ocean. This happens when the soil can’t absorb water fast enough—like when it’s already full or when the surface is hard or paved. Infiltration is the process of water seeping into the soil, while percolation is the deeper movement of that water down toward groundwater, and condensation is when water vapor in the air cools and becomes liquid. So when water moves over the land toward the sea, it’s runoff.

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