What keeps water from sinking into earth?

Question

I remember reading somewhere that there's evidence of water on Mars but it all sank into the Martian soil. So what prevents that happening on earth?Some people say it's because the crust is not permeable to water, but that must be nonsense because of volcanic actions and earthquakes, there certainly will be cracks that allow water to flow through. So the only thing that prevents the water from sinking in is the temperature, right?

Answer 1

So what prevents that happening on earth?

Water actually does sink into the soil on Earth, and it travels through the crust and mantle. Water sinks into the ground as wet sediments in subduction zones, trapped pore water, deposition of hydrous materials, and meteoric circulation. Because water is less dense than rock, it tends to stay at the surface if the rock has limited porosity.

So the only thing that prevents the water from sinking in is the temperature, right?

Temperature is one factor, but it's more complicated than that. Greater pressure at lower depths tends to restrict fault cavities, fractures, and pores, thereby limiting space for water circulation. Temperature (below the earth's surface) also increases with depth, causing trace amounts of water to be absorbed via hydrous interaction with minerals.