Published University studies highlight an underappreciated but widespread risk: land subsidence is no longer just a coastal concern.
It’s a national infrastructure challenge. The fact that 25 of the 28 most populous U.S. cities are experiencing measurable sinking across two-thirds of their land shows how pervasive and multifactorial this issue is.
Some key takeaways and implications:
- Infrastructure vulnerability: Roads, railways, airports, and buildings — especially older or heavier ones — are at risk of cracking, tilting, or failing as the ground beneath them subtly shifts over years or decades.
- Compounding risks: In places like New York, subsidence can worsen flooding during extreme weather, even without sea-level rise. Inland, it can impair stormwater drainage systems or stress underground utilities.
- Uneven effects: Not every part of a city is sinking at the same rate, making mitigation complex. Even within a city block, some buildings could sink faster than others due to different construction methods, soil types, or water usage practices.
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Causes vary: Factors include over-extraction of groundwater, legacy industrial practices, natural compaction of soils, and even the weight of urban development itself.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a64759325/us-city-…
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Almost every city on the U.S coastline saw an increase in sea level rises in 2024, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.