Question

humans need to withdraw groundwater in order to use it. groundwater comes from aquifers that formed underground over long periods of time, sometimes several thousand years.
by drilling wells into the ground, humans can pump water out of these aquifers. the rate at which humans withdraw groundwater is much faster than the rate at which these aquifers recharge, or refill. as a result, the groundwater supply is being depleted, or reduced.
the total volume of groundwater that has been removed and not replaced is called groundwater depletion. as groundwater depletion increases, groundwater will become more difficult to find and more expensive to withdraw.
which statement correctly describes how groundwater is affected by human activity?
aquifers have formed over thousands of years, so humans cannot reduce the groundwater supply over a shorter time span.
the groundwater supply could be used up because humans withdraw groundwater at a much faster rate than aquifers refill.

Explanation:

The text states that humans withdraw groundwater much faster than aquifers recharge. This leads to groundwater depletion. Option A is incorrect as the text clearly shows humans can reduce the supply despite aquifers' long - formation time. Option B aligns with the text's key point about withdrawal rate vs. recharge rate causing potential depletion.

Answer:

B. The groundwater supply could be used up because humans withdraw groundwater at a much faster rate than aquifers refill.