New York City Is Sinking, Due to Enormous Weight, Study Warns.
'The Guardian' reports that New York City is slowly sinking as a result of the massive weight of its buildings, increasing the threat of rising seas.
According to new research, the city has sunk by an average of approximately 1-2 mm every year.
.
Researchers found that some areas of the city were sinking at twice that rate.
The slow descent has exacerbated the impact of accelerated sea level rise due to global warming.
Since 1950, the water surrounding New York has risen about 9 inches.
'The Guardian' reports that by the end of the century, major flooding events could become as much as four times more frequent.
.
A deeply concentrated population of 8.4 million people faces varying degrees of hazard from inundation in New York City, Via 'The Weight of New York City: Possible Contributions to Subsidence From Anthropogenic Sources'.
According to the authors of the study, many coastal cities around the world will share similar risks as the climate crisis worsens.
The combination of tectonic and anthropogenic subsidence, sea level rise, and increasing hurricane intensity imply an accelerating problem along coastal and riverfront areas, Via 'The Weight of New York City: Possible Contributions to Subsidence From Anthropogenic Sources'.
The combination of tectonic and anthropogenic subsidence, sea level rise, and increasing hurricane intensity imply an accelerating problem along coastal and riverfront areas, Via 'The Weight of New York City: Possible Contributions to Subsidence From Anthropogenic Sources'.
The researchers calculate that all of , the city's structures weigh an estimated , 1.68 trillion pounds.
'The Weight of New York City: Possible Contributions to Subsidence From Anthropogenic Sources' was published in the journal 'Earth’s Future.'
