Which of the following contributes to the effectiveness of water clarity improvement?

Alum application is recognized as an effective method for improving water clarity, particularly in freshwater systems such as lakes and ponds. Aluminum sulfate, or alum, works by causing small suspended particles to coagulate, forming larger aggregates that can then settle to the bottom. This process reduces turbidity, which is the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by large numbers of individual particles. By improving water clarity, alum also enhances light penetration, which can benefit aquatic plant growth and the overall health of the ecosystem.

In contrast, while temperature control, pH balancing, and water circulation can impact water quality and ecosystem health, they do not directly contribute to the improvement of water clarity in the same way that alum does. Temperature control can influence the overall metabolism of microorganisms and fish behavior, pH balancing affects the chemical reactions occurring within the water but doesn’t specifically target turbid particles, and water circulation can help in distributing nutrients and oxygen throughout a body of water but does not effectively remove suspended solids that cause turbidity. Therefore, alum application stands out as the method specifically aimed at enhancing water clarity.