What happens in a cone of depression?

• A. It causes increased river flow
• B. Wells pull water from a local area creating a cone-shaped zone of depleted water
• C. Rainfall increases groundwater
• D. Water table rises around the well

Answer: (B)

When groundwater is pumped from a well, the water table around the well drops because water from the surrounding area flows toward the well to replace what’s being removed. This downward pull creates a localized, cone-shaped zone of depleted water—higher drawdown near the well that forms a tapering cone as you move away. That is exactly what the statement describes: wells pulling water from a local area to create a cone-shaped zone of depleted water.

The other ideas don’t fit this situation. Pumping doesn’t create more river flow; in fact, it can reduce river baseflow by taking groundwater that would otherwise discharge to the river. Rainfall recharges groundwater, which would tend to raise the water table rather than form a cone of depression. And the water table around a well does not rise while pumping continues; it falls, not rises.