Which risk increases when porous alluvial aquifers are rapidly depleted by irrigation pumping?

💡 Explanation

When aquifers are rapidly depleted, effective stress increases because pore water pressure decreases, compacting the alluvial sediments and potentially causing ground subsidence and sinkhole formation. Therefore, sinkhole formation results, rather than seismic activity, methane release, or enhanced carbon sequestration, each requiring different geological processes.

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