What term describes all the land that drains into a single water body?

• A. Watershed
• B. Groundwater
• C. Aquifer
• D. Water Table

Answer: (A)

The term that describes all the land that drains into a single water body is "watershed." A watershed encompasses the specific area from which water, through precipitation, flows towards a common point such as a river, lake, or ocean. This concept is fundamental in understanding hydrology and water resource management, as it illustrates how land use and environmental practices in one part of the watershed can significantly impact water quality and availability in another part.

The other options refer to different aspects of the water cycle. Groundwater is the water located beneath the Earth's surface in soil pore spaces and fractures of rock. An aquifer is a specific geological formation that can store and transmit significant amounts of water, acting as a source of groundwater. The water table, on the other hand, is the upper surface of groundwater, indicating the boundary between saturated ground and the overlying unsaturated ground. While these terms are related to water resources, they do not describe the broader concept of land draining into a water body like a watershed does.