Overview

• A new high-resolution satellite analysis reveals that all 28 most populous U.S. cities are experiencing land subsidence, with 25 cities seeing at least 65% of their areas sinking.
• Houston leads as the fastest-sinking city, with over 40% of its area subsiding at rates above 5 mm annually, and 12% sinking at twice that rate or more.
• Groundwater extraction accounts for 80% of the subsidence, with additional contributing factors including geological processes, urban infrastructure weight, and oil and gas pumping in some regions.
• Around 29,000 buildings in dense urban cores are at high risk due to differential motion, where uneven sinking and occasional uplift stress infrastructure foundations.
• Researchers warn that population growth, climate-driven droughts, and rising seas will exacerbate subsidence risks, calling for proactive groundwater management and infrastructure adaptations.