1 The water table forms the top of the zone of saturation, where pore spaces in sediment or rock are completely filled with water. 2  Aquifers are underground areas of sediment or rock that hold groundwater. 3  In steep areas, where groundwater intersects the ground surface, a spring or seep can form.
There's a word for what you're asking for-- onomatopoeia. Many times editors would rather you not use the sounds, but describe it, unless you're writing a PB or even early chapter book. I wrote about a train in one of my short stories. As a train gets closer, it makes a rumbling sound. As it leaves the station, it makes a steadily increasing chugging sound. The whistle sounds like a forlorn call in the night. The brakes hiss and screech when the train slows down to a stop. If you don't have a train nearby to listen to, go online and do a search.
The way that sound travels is an oft discussed topic in basic science for younger children. Many kids can easily identify a source of sound and understand how the ear detects it, but struggle to understand the process in between. Just like light, sound travels in waves caused by air molecules that vibrate. If a drum is banged the air molecules around the drum vibrate, and these vibrations cause air molecules slightly further away to shake in turn. The process repeats until the vibrations lessen and the sounds begin to dissipate.