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← Earth & Natural SystemsIf a cave's ventilation decreases significantly, which consequence follows regarding speleothem formation?
A)Growth rates increase dramatically always
B)Speleothem color rapidly intensifies
C)Microbial activity becomes severely limited
D)Speleothem formation rate generally slows✓
💡 Explanation
A decrease in ventilation reduces the replenishment of dissolved calcium carbonate carried by seeping water, a requirement for speleothem formation. Reduced CO2 exchange also diminishes precipitation rates. Therefore, the formation rate slows, rather than increases, because less material is available for deposition.
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