Final answer:
The correct answer is option (B). The slow natural processes of groundwater filtration through soil and rock, combined with factors like overuse and lack of precipitation, lead to lengthy replenishment times for aquifers. Urbanization also plays a role by increasing demand and limiting recharge areas.
Step-by-step explanation:
It would take 300 to 1,000 years or more to replenish any groundwater removed from an aquifer due primarily to the slow natural processes of water filtration.
Groundwater seeps slowly through the minute spaces between soil and rock particles, which means recharge, or the process of water moving from the surface to the aquifer, occurs over prolonged periods.
Factors such as lack of precipitation and overuse of water resources exacerbate the situation, leading to a significant delay in the replenishment of these critical water sources.
Environmental challenges like rapid urbanization can further increase demand for water while reducing available recharge areas, worsening the scenario even more.
Aquifers, which are a major source of fresh water for drinking and irrigation, face the risk of depletion if water is removed faster than it is replenished, resulting in lowered water tables, saltwater intrusion, and potential ecological disturbances such as subsidence and sinkholes.