With the methods of mica adsorbing, the microtopography of the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide was perfectly captured. The tapping mode AFM study results revealed that the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide possesses a perforated sheet (with a thickness of 0-1.75 nm) as well as some spheric particle structures compared with the hydrous manganese dioxide with 2 h aging time, which demonstrated that the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide have a large surface area and adsorption capacity. When 1 mmol/L newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide was added, the microtopography of NOM molecules shifted from loosely dispersed pancake shape (with adsorption height of 5-8.5 nm) to densely dispersed and uniform spheric structure. NOM was prone to adsorb on the surface of the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide, which provided a valid proof for the coagulation-aid mechanism of permanganate preoxidation.