Ground waters - I

“...Allah always achieves His aim. Allah has appointed a measure for all things.” (Surat at-Talaq, 3)
 

For water that falls down earth to gather under the ground and again to go up the surface in a form suitable for the use of human beings, a number of incredible processes come to occur. For example, water which is expected to be muddy and clouded because it passed down several layers of the soil under the ground is actually clean and clear.

Many industrial corporations have begun to establish special purification plants in order to benefit waste waters. The amount of water these plants, which are established with extensive costs, are able to purify and set into use is very limited and for this limited capacity a lot of energy is consumed. However, the energy for ground waters is supplied from all natural resources and the amount of water, which can be put into use, is incomparable to human-made plants.

How do ground waters form?

Rain is one of the most important aspects for the maintenance of life on Earth. During the formation of rain, there is a water circulation among the seas, atmosphere and lands. Water coming from oceans, seas, glaciers, snow covers, rivers and lakes and some water vapor that comes from the soil surface and plants goes to the atmosphere. Then it gets condensed under appropriate conditions and turns back to Earth in the form of rain, snow and hail.  In the Qur’an, Almighty Allah reveals the processes shortly mentioned above about the formation of rain as follows: “It is Allah Who sends the winds which stir up clouds which He spreads about the sky however He wills. He forms them into dark clumps and you see the rain come pouring out from the middle of them. When He makes it fall on those of His servants He wills, they rejoice” (Surat ar-Rum, 48)

Some of the rain that falls down on land in several forms (rain, snow, hail) fills up the cavities on land, lakes and forms rivers by following the declivities on the surface. However, not all of the rain that falls down earth forms the surface waters; as some leaks under the ground under “appropriate conditions” and forms the ground waters.
 

There are several important points that need attention:

-    Why do waters that leak underground gather up in a specific layer when there are many others and not leak to lower layers?

-    How can water, which is expected to be muddy and cloudy as it passes down several layers of the soil, stay in a form that is ready to drink, clear and clean?

-    How and for what reason do waters that gather up in specific layers under the ground go up to the surface?
 

The answers to all of these questions show the perfection in Allah’s Creation. Almighty Allah reveals in the Qur’an:
 

“Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky and threads it through the earth to emerge as springs and then by it brings forth crops of varying colours...” (Surat az-Zumar, 21)

“Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky and threads it through the earth to emerge as springs...” (Surat ar-Ra‘d, 17)