Which term refers to the natural sinking of land caused by groundwater depletion?

The term that refers to the natural sinking of land caused by groundwater depletion is land subsidence. This phenomenon occurs when the support that underground water provides to the soil is removed, often through excessive pumping of groundwater for agricultural, industrial, or domestic uses. As water is extracted, the pore spaces in the soil and rock formations compress, leading to a gradual sinking or settling of the ground surface. This process can result in significant impacts on infrastructure, ecosystems, and water drainage patterns, highlighting the importance of sustainable groundwater management.

In contrast, soil erosion involves the displacement of the upper layer of soil and is typically caused by natural elements like wind and water, as well as human activities. Land reclamation refers to the process of creating new land from oceans, riverbeds, or lake beds, which is unrelated to the sinking of land. Surface runoff is the flow of water, resulting from rain or melting snow, which does not directly involve the subsidence of land. Each of these terms relates to different processes in physical geography, but land subsidence specifically describes the sinking of land due to water withdrawal.