Final answer:
Continued mining of groundwater can lead to ground subsidence and aquifer depletion, with subsidence causing sinking of the land and potential damage to infrastructure and the environment, and depletion resulting in a shortage of available groundwater for various uses.
Step-by-step explanation:
When mining groundwater continues, one of the problems that can arise is ground subsidence. Subsidence is the gradual sinking of the land surface, which can occur due to various factors, including soil compaction, extraction of mineral resources, and the withdrawal of groundwater.
Mining groundwater can lead to a reduction in the water table, which in turn can cause the overlying land to sink. This can damage infrastructure, reduce the effectiveness of flood mitigation efforts, create sinkholes, and affect natural ecosystems. Moreover, such subsidence can exacerbate problems of salinization, a buildup of salt in the soil that decreases agricultural productivity in arid climates. Freshwater is necessary to leach these salts from the soil, but with decreased groundwater levels, this becomes more challenging.
The continuous extraction of groundwater without sufficient recharge can also lead to aquifer depletion, where the available water in the aquifer is reduced much faster than natural replenishment occurs.