Multiple Choice QuestionSaltwater intrusion, due to groundwater depletion, results in Blank______.Multiple choice question.increases in subsurface freshwater suppliesfreshwater being contaminated with seawaterfreshwater intruding into salty, ocean water

The correct answer is "freshwater being contaminated with seawater".

Step by Step Explanation:

1. Saltwater intrusion is a process that occurs when groundwater is depleted. Groundwater is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand, and rocks called aquifers.

2. When groundwater is excessively pumped from coastal wells for municipal, agricultural, or industrial use, the water table (the upper level of the groundwater) can lower, creating a vacuum that can draw seawater into freshwater aquifers.

3. This process results in the contamination of freshwater supplies with seawater, making the water unsuitable for drinking or irrigation without desalination.

4. Therefore, the statement "Saltwater intrusion, due to groundwater depletion, results in freshwater being contaminated with seawater" is correct.

The other options "increases in subsurface freshwater supplies" and "freshwater intruding into salty, ocean water" are incorrect because saltwater intrusion decreases freshwater supplies and it is the seawater that intrudes into freshwater, not the other way around.