QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GEOLOGICAL USGS CONTACT SEARCH WATER SCIENCE SCHOOL LINKS GLOSSARY HELP WATER BASICS WATER PROPERTIES WATER CYCLE SURFACE WATER GROUNDWATER QUALITY WATER USE PHOTOS TEACHERS PREVIOUS PAGE DROUGHTS STREAMFLOW CONDITIONS HAPPENING NOW THE UNITED STATES OFFERS HYDROLOGY INFORMATION WEB SITE QUESTIONS CAUSES DROUGHT RAIN MEAN AWAY WHEN IT RAINS AFFECT WATER LEVEL ANSWERS EASY DEFINE HURRICANE EARTHQUAKE DEFINING DO NOT THE IMMEDIATE SUSTAINED CAUSE ECONOMIC STRESS THE WORD PERIOD MOISTURE DEFICIENCY CROPS TWO WEEKS RAINFALL CERTAIN PERIODS GROWING CYCLE PRECIPITATION LESS THAN WATER SUPPLY AVAILABILITY HYDROLOGIST RESULTS UNEVEN PATTERNS AMOUNT PARTICULAR LOCATION AVERAGE DESERTS INCHES YEARLY ATLANTA RAIN AND SNOW EARLY SPRING TOTAL SHORTAGES PLANT GROWTH THE EARLY LITTLE NO RAIN SOILS PLANTS NORMAL THE FLOW OF STREAMS RIVERS LAKES RESERVOIRS DEPTH WELLS WEATHER PROBLEMS THE BEGINNING OF PASS PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE END AS IT LAST IN CALIFORNIA THE DROUGHT LASTED DUST STORMS EVIDENCE SEEN SHORT PERIOD BEGIN FLOW WEEKS DROUGHT CONDITIONS RETURNS WATER VAPOR EVAPORATES PLANT ROOTS DRAW THE SOIL RETURN PROCESS TRANSPIRATION EVAPOTRANSPIRATION WIND RATE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION RATES CLOUDY BE SMALL ENOUGH OFFSET LESS DEVELOP AT ALL DROUGHT RELIEF GOOD ANALOGY MIGHT BE MEDICINE ILLNESS RELATE TO EACH DOSE SYMPTOMS TAKES PROGRAM MEDICATION CURE LIKEWISE BREAK LIGHT MODERATE SHOWER PROBABLY MIGHT FOLKS FEEL AWHILE VEGETATION PERK UP GROWING SEASON THE RAIN QUICKLY EVAPORATED IMPACT SHORT THUNDERSTORM BENEFITS THE SHOWER LOSS PROPERTY PRODUCE SHORT TIME RUN DRAINAGE CHANNELS RATHER SOAK FALL UPSTREAM RUNOFF CAPTURED AVAILABLE NO MATTER STREAM RISE FLOODING CARRY POLLUTANTS THE LAND RAINS THE BEST GROUND WATER TURN RELIEF MULTIPLE MONTHS THE NORMAL TROPICAL STORM INTENSE LEAD TROPICAL STORMS LONGER TROPICAL INTENSITY EXCEED CAPACITY SOIL FILL ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THE RIGHT PLACE THE RIGHT BROKEN TRULY SUBSTANTIAL NECESSARY AQUIFERS BELOW THE SURFACE NATURAL USED TO POPULATION DRINKING BUSINESS INDUSTRIES AQUIFER ALWAYS SEASONAL VARIATIONS PUMPING THE HEIGHT THE UNDERGROUND PUMPED FASTER UNDERGROUND THE WELL LOWERED TO THE EXTREME TOO MUCH WATER REFERENCES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FACT SHEET REPORT FOIA PRIVACY POLICIES NOTICES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HOWARD