What is the term for water that flows over the land's surface?

The term for water that flows over the land's surface is surface runoff. This process occurs when precipitation, such as rain or melted snow, cannot be absorbed by the soil due to saturation or impermeable surfaces. As a result, the excess water moves across the surface of the ground, traveling downhill due to gravity. Surface runoff is a crucial part of the hydrological cycle as it helps to transport water to streams, rivers, and eventually to larger bodies of water like lakes and oceans.

Field drainage refers to a system designed to remove excess water from the soil, primarily in agricultural settings, ensuring crops are not waterlogged. The water table is the upper surface of the saturated zone in the ground, indicating the level below which the soil or rocks are completely saturated with water. Groundwater flow, on the other hand, describes the movement of water below the surface, typically through soil and rock layers. Each of these other terms is related to water and its movement, but they specifically refer to different processes and contexts compared to surface runoff.