Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
-You have been hired by a small town on the Florida coast to give its residents advice about avoiding further sinkholes. You tell them that ________________.
A) they should limit development and recycle wastewater
B) if they stay here, sinkholes will occur; they should move
C) they should increase groundwater pumping
D) pumping in ocean water will recharge the aquifer
E) because sinkholes are a natural occurrence, nothing they do will help

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best option is to limit development and recycle wastewater. This will reduce the amount of water being pumped out of the aquifer and help recharge it. It will also prevent the land above the aquifer from being weakened and subsiding, which can lead to sinkholes. Increasing groundwater pumping or pumping in ocean water will only further deplete the aquifer and exacerbate the problem. Moving is not a practical solution for most residents, and sinkholes are a natural occurrence that cannot be completely avoided, but their occurrence can be minimized through responsible water management practices.

Read the Following Scenario and Answer the Question Below