Question

which statement best describes the connection between oceans and aquifers?
a. water evaporates from oceans into the atmosphere where it collects and falls as precipitation, infiltrating the ground to refill aquifers.

b. water infiltrates from oceans into the atmosphere where it collects and falls as transpiration, condensing into the ground to refill aquifers.

c. water condenses from oceans into the atmosphere where it collects and falls as evaporation, infiltrating the ground to refill aquifers.

d. water transpires from oceans into the atmosphere where it collects and falls as precipitation, evaporating into the ground to refill aquifers.

Explanation:

• Option A:
• Evaporation occurs when water changes from liquid to gas (vapor) from the ocean surface.
• This vapor rises, condenses to form clouds, and then falls as precipitation (rain, snow etc.).
• Precipitation infiltrates the ground to refill aquifers (underground water - bearing layers).
• Option B:
• Infiltration is the process of water entering the soil, not from the ocean to the atmosphere.
• Transpiration is water loss from plants, not related to ocean - atmosphere - aquifer connection as described here.
• Option C:
• Condensation is water vapor turning back to liquid. Evaporation is the opposite (liquid to vapor). The sequence of processes is wrong here.
• Option D:
• Transpiration is a plant - related process (water loss from plants), not from the ocean. Also, evaporation is from liquid to vapor, not into the ground to refill aquifers.

Answer:

A. Water evaporates from oceans into the atmosphere where it collects and falls as precipitation, infiltrating the ground to refill aquifers.