The process of enrichment of surface water bodies with nutrients is called

Correct option is A

The correct answer is (A) Eutrophication

Explanation:
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• Eutrophication is the excessive enrichment of a water body with nutrients, primarily Nitrogen and Phosphorus.
• This often occurs due to runoff from agricultural fields (fertilizers), sewage discharge, or industrial waste.
• The excess nutrients trigger an algal bloom (rapid overgrowth of algae). This dense layer of algae blocks sunlight from reaching underwater plants and eventually dies, leading to oxygen depletion during decomposition.
• This process transforms a healthy aquatic ecosystem into one that supports very little life, often characterized by foul smells and green, murky water.

Information Booster:
• Cultural Eutrophication: Human-induced enrichment (as opposed to natural eutrophication which takes centuries).
• Phosphorus is usually the limiting nutrient in freshwater systems, while Nitrogen is often limiting in marine systems.
• Eutrophic lakes are shallow and nutrient-rich, while Oligotrophic lakes are deep and nutrient-poor.

Additional Knowledge:
• Oligotrophication (Option B): The process of a water body becoming nutrient-poor and high in oxygen.
• Petrification (Option C): The process by which organic material becomes bone or stone through the replacement of original material with minerals.
• Nitrification (Option D): The biological oxidation of ammonia to nitrite followed by the oxidation of nitrite to nitrate.