What best describes groundwater recharge?

• A. Evaporation from surface water
• B. Replenishment of aquifers by infiltration of water through the soil
• C. Runoff from rainfall
• D. Water added by irrigation only

Answer: (B)

Groundwater recharge is the replenishment of aquifers as water from the surface, such as rainfall or other surface sources, infiltrates through the soil and moves downward to replenish stored groundwater. This downward movement through the soil—percolation—is what actually adds water to the underground aquifers, linking surface processes to subsurface water.

Evaporation from surface water reduces the amount of water available to infiltrate, so it doesn’t contribute to recharge. Runoff carries water away on the surface rather than letting it penetrate down to the groundwater. Water added by irrigation can contribute to recharge if it infiltrates, but recharge is not limited to irrigation alone and largely depends on infiltration from precipitation or other surface waters; focusing only on irrigation ignores these natural recharge pathways.