Rain doesn’t come that often, so I can’t imagine how there could be enough to constantly keep the groundwater and aquifers flowing strong. I know there are some other sources like snowmelt too, but rain is the main one and I don’t see it being substantial enough to be able to bring that much water.
In: Earth Science
Also, think of the ground like a sponge – it’s full of fractures that slow the seepage of rainfall into an aquifer and some aquifers have fewer discharge points where groundwater becomes surface water. The land the rain falls on has a lot more surface area than you probably realize as well for recharge contribution and vegetation also slows the introduction of rainfall into the ground. These factors, among others, are what help keep the recharge/discharge cycle in balance. That being said, it’s common for aquifers to dry up during drought or new aquifers to establish during periods of excessive saturation.
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