Which outcome is exacerbated when groundwater pressure increases within fault zones?

💡 Explanation

Increased groundwater pressure near faults elevates pore pressure, which decreases the effective normal stress on the fault surfaces; this activates aseismic creep rather than brittle fracture because effective stress reduces frictional resistance; therefore, this accelerates creep instead of triggering an earthquake.

• Which erosional outcome is accelerated when cave CO₂ levels increase?
• Which consequence results when substantial airborne tephra reaches altitudes above freezing?
• Which environmental consequence results when glacial isostatic adjustment?
• Which wind deviation results from the Coriolis effect on deep convection?
• Which risk increases when a deep-seated creep along a transform fault suddenly transitions to stick-slip behavior?
• Which risk increases when glacial meltwater streams accelerate?