2006-10-12 08:35:41 · 6 answers · asked by Dave P 1 in Environment
It can come from underground springs, lake runoff, rain draining from a large basin, or snow melt many miles from where you encounter it.
Aloha
2006-10-12 08:41:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
When it rains or when snow melts, the water is going to make its way down hill to the ocean. Some of the water runs off very quickly over the surface of the ground, but in many places a large amount of water seeps into the ground and trickles through the ground toward the ocean.
So, if you were east of the Rocky Mountains, probably in the spring the rivers and streams near you would be full of meltwater fromt he melting snow, but while some of the meltwater runs off quickly, a lot more is seeping into the earth. That will slowly pass down from the mountains and off toward the streams and rivers that flow to the Mississippi. It might take a long time for the water to seep through the ground - if it is in porous (spongy) rocks, it might actually take years, or even centuries, to slowly trickle down to the ocean. The rocks and soil under the surface that hold the water are called the aquifer. If you drill a well down into the aquifer you can pump out some of the water that is seeping along..
2006-10-13 11:47:25 · answer #2 · answered by matt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its a part of natures cycle. if the mountains have snow year round, its obvious that the water comes from melt off. other mountains have underground water, but a large percentage of it comes from the plants and trees. do a little research. find out how many clearcut mountains or even large hills in your area have running streams compared to those that havent been turned into developments. you might do some research into the past to see which of those "dry" mountains used to have rivers or streams that flowed year round. it should be easy enough to do if you are really wanting to find out.
2006-10-12 20:24:42 · answer #3 · answered by icameheretosleepnotchat 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Besides rain, in many mountains, especially those of greater elevation, snow melts very slowly and, in some cases, may not completely melt in the summer. This water will slowly run-off throughout the summer.
2006-10-12 16:41:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Underground water.
2006-10-12 15:40:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
underground springs. or glacers that you cant see in the mountians that are behind the ones that you are looking at
2006-10-12 15:59:53 · answer #6 · answered by Erika H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋