Read the Following Scenario and Answer the Question Below

question 14

Multiple Choice

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.
-Sinkholes can occur when ________________.

• A) the water level in an aquifer rises, pushing through to the surface
• B) excessive water use lowers a water table and weakens the substrate
• C) the water in an artesian aquifer is under sufficient pressure that it breaks through to the surface
• D) too much weight above an aquifer causes it to cave in
• E) nonconsumptive use lowers an aquifer

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Definitions:

Year 2

The second year in a given time frame, often referring to the second year of a company's operation or the second year in a dataset.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

A measure of a company's financial leverage, calculated by dividing its total liabilities by stockholders' equity.

Year 2

Typically refers to the second year in a designated time frame, often used in financial and performance analysis.

Times Interest Earned Ratio

A financial metric that measures a company’s ability to meet its interest obligations based on its current earnings before interest and taxes.