Gideon noted that three inches of rain had fallen on his patio over night , the following day, scientists measured and found that the water table had only gained one inch of water . what explains the different in water amounts?

The water has left the system before if could be measured.

Explanation:

Some of the water has flowed quickly along as surface runoff and through the river channel. Scientists would then missed the chance to measure this rainfall. Some water will have been absorbed by nearby vegetation. The vegetation then releases the water in a vapor state, to the atmosphere. This process is known as transpiration. Heat in the atmosphere causes evaporation and the water never joins the soil of groundwater to be measured as part of the water table.

river is shown in this type of map