“East Coast cities are sinking faster than the global sea level is rising, scientists warn”
New research from Virginia Tech and the United States Geological Survey has confirmed that major cities on the US Atlantic coast are sinking at an alarming rate. The study, now published in PNAS Nexus, reveals that areas such as New York City, Long Island, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, and Norfolk are experiencing rapid sinking, posing a significant risk to infrastructure.
Lead author Leonard Ohenhen, a graduate student at Virginia Tech, expressed concern over the continued subsidence, particularly in densely populated areas with a history of infrastructure complacency. The team of researchers, led by associate professor Manoochehr Shirzaei at the Earth Observation and Innovation Laboratory, used space-based radar satellite data to create high-precision digital terrain maps highlighting the sinking landscapes.
Their innovative maps show that an extensive area of the East Coast is sinking at a rate exceeding the current global sea level rise, impacting over 2 million people and 800,000 properties. The sinking hotspots directly intersect with critical infrastructure, such as roads, railways, airports, and levees.
The consequences of this subsidence are a cause for concern, with potential damage to infrastructure and increased risks of flooding. Subsidence can undermine building foundations, damage roads and water lines, and exacerbate coastal flooding, especially when combined with sea level rise due to climate change.
The researchers underscore the urgency of their findings, emphasizing that the impacts of land subsidence are real and tangible. Their work provides essential information for decision-makers and city planners to address the ongoing subsidence crisis along the US East Coast.