Which becomes a problem when mining groundwater continues?
A: it removes water more quickly than it can be replaced.
B: it becomes too expensive to maintain the aquifer.
C: it adds pollution to wells.
D: it causes porous rock to suddenly harden.
A: it removes water more quickly than it can be replaced.
A: it removes water more quickly than it can be replaced.
The correct answer is A: it removes water more quickly than it can be replaced.
When mining groundwater, the extraction of water can outpace the natural replenishment rate. This can result in a significant problem for several reasons. To arrive at this answer, let's go through the options and explain why the others are not the correct choice:
B: it becomes too expensive to maintain the aquifer - This option suggests that the cost of maintaining the aquifer becomes an issue. While this may sometimes be a problem, it is not directly related to the issue of mining groundwater itself. Therefore, it is not the correct choice.
C: it adds pollution to wells - This option refers to the introduction of pollutants into wells. While pollution can be a concern in certain cases, it is not necessarily a consequence of mining groundwater in general. Therefore, this is not the correct choice either.
D: it causes porous rock to suddenly harden - This option suggests that mining groundwater leads to the sudden hardening of porous rock. However, this is not typically a direct consequence of mining water. Therefore, it is also not the correct choice.
Therefore, A: it removes water more quickly than it can be replaced is the correct answer. This describes the process of over-extraction, where the rate of removing groundwater exceeds the natural recharge rate, creating an unsustainable situation. It can lead to a depletion of the aquifer, reduced water availability, and other negative impacts on ecosystems and human populations reliant on groundwater.