Which mechanism increases stream salinity when hydraulic fracturing occurs near shale deposits?

💡 Explanation

When deep-well injection occurs, saline wastewater can migrate into aquifers because pressure overcomes the confining layer integrity, leading to increased stream salinity where the aquifer discharges as baseflow. Therefore groundwater contamination causes stream salinity, rather than seismicity, surface spills, or biological processes which require different transport mechanisms.

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