The Ogallala Aquifer, or High Plains aquifer, located in the central United States is one of the largest aquifers in the world. It is shown in blue in the picture below.

Image courtesy of USGS

Scientists estimate that the formation of the Ogallala Aquifer began millions of years ago, when the Rocky Mountains were still tectonically active. Over time, sediment from the Rocky Mountains eroded and was deposited over rivers and valleys on the eastern side of the mountains, eventually covering them and trapping water below the surface to form the aquifer.

Today the Ogallala Aquifer is a very important source of freshwater, supplying about 30% of the total groundwater used for irrigation in the United States. The Ogallala Aquifer also provides drinking water to many people who live in the central United States.

Based on the information above, which of the following is true?
A.
Past geologic processes have resulted in an even distribution of resources on Earth.
B.
Past geologic processes impact the present-day location of resources on Earth.
C.
Geologic processes have very little impact on the distribution of resources on Earth.
D.
Geologic processes that occur in modern times did not occur earlier in Earth's history

User Icon for Bot GPT 4-o mini Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
19 hours ago

The correct answer is B. **Past geologic processes impact the present-day location of resources on Earth.**

This is evident from the information about how the Ogallala Aquifer was formed as a result of the erosion and sediment deposition from the Rocky Mountains, which created a vital source of freshwater that is important for irrigation and drinking water today.