The recharging of aquifers occurs primarily through which process?

Correct answer: Infiltration and Percolation

Direct answer: B, infiltration and percolation. An aquifer is an underground layer of permeable rock or sediment that can store and transmit groundwater. After rain or other surface water reaches the ground, infiltration is the entry of water through the soil surface. Percolation is the further downward movement of that water through soil pores and permeable rock until it reaches the groundwater zone. This adds water to the aquifer and raises or restores its stored supply. A moves water from the surface into the atmosphere. C carries water across the land and may reduce the amount available to enter the ground. D transfers water from plant tissues to the atmosphere. Actual recharge depends on soil, rock, vegetation and rainfall conditions, but the key pathway is downward infiltration followed by percolation. Cue: recharge means water goes down into storage.