Which mechanism causes levee breaching when prolonged rainfall saturates the levee structure?

💡 Explanation

When sustained rainfall occurs, the increased saturation elevates the hydraulic head within the levee material, creating a higher hydraulic gradient that leads to seepage erosion because internal soil particles are carried away by water flow. Therefore, seepage erosion leads to breaching, instead of vegetation die-off, thermal issues or chemical effects that require differing sets of conditions.

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