This is part of the U.S. Geologic Survey's Water Science for Schools website. It consists of a set of links to other parts of the site dealing with groundwater-related topics such as groundwater flow and distribution, trends in groundwater use, importance of groundwater, and groundwater quality. Graphic illustrations and photographs are provided.

View the five processes of the hydrologic cycle in this interactive resource adapted from NASA in which animations illustrate condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and evapotranspiration.

This site provides background information on the effects of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, the 1950s drought, and the 1987-1989 drought in the Great Plains of the American Midwest. It features discussions of the extent of each drought and the economic damage incurred, using text, photographs and graphic illustrations. A link to a discussion of the Palmer Drought Severity Index is included.

For students that have already been introduced to the water cycle this lesson is intended as a logical follow-up. Students will learn about human impacts on the water cycle that create a pathway for pollutants beginning with urban development and joining the natural water cycle as surface runoff. The extent of surface runoff in an area depends on the permeability of the materials in the ground. Permeability is the degree to which water or other liquids are able to flow through a material. Different substances such as soil, gravel, sand, and asphalt have varying levels of permeability. In this lesson, along with the associated activities, students will learn about permeability and compare the permeability of several different materials for the purpose of engineering landscape drainage systems.

In this lesson, students will explore the causes of water pollution and its effects on the environment through the use of models and scientific investigation. In the accompanying activities, they will investigate filtration and aeration processes as they are used for removing pollutants from water. Lastly, they will learn about the role of engineers in water treatment systems.

These exercises are designed to guide a student to an understanding of how rainfall and storm events result in runoff over the surface of the earth. Runoff is influenced by the nature of the surface of the earth. Streamflow is particularly influenced by urbanization-the paving over of permeable surfaces with impermeable ones. In light of this, students are encouraged to think about design elements that incorporate more permeable surfaces into their own environments, including their school parking lots and neighborhoods.

The course offers an introduction to quantitative analysis of geomorphic processes,and examines the interaction of climate, tectonics, and surface processes in the sculpting of Earth's surface.

This site examines the movement of water across (and below and above) earth's surface. Among the topics: condensation, evaporation, freshwater storage, ground-water storage and discharge, infiltration, precipitation, snowmelt runoff to streams, springs, streamflow, surface runoff, transpiration, water in the atmosphere, ice and snow, and oceans. A diagram and text summarizing the water cycle are available in more than 30 languages.

Permeability is the degree to which water or other liquids are able to flow through a material. Different substances such as soil, gravel, sand, and asphalt have varying levels of permeability. In this activity, students will explore different levels of permeability and compare the permeabilities of several different materials. They will also be introduced to the basic concepts of building design, landscape architecture, and environmental pollutant transport. As an extension activity, they will discuss the importance of proper drainage and urban design issues in sensitive environments such as coastal areas.