The rain reaches the river

Not much rain gets into the river by falling straight into it!

When the rain falls it sometimes runs over the surface of the soil or rock and into the river. This is called 'runoff'.

Sometimes it soaks into the soil and then travels downhill and into the river by seeping through the river banks. This is called 'infiltration'.

Once the water has reached the river or stream, it carries on travelling downhill, until at last the river reaches the coast, and joins with the sea.

Activity 1 - The hydrological cycle