U.S. Atlantic Coast Cities Sinking at Alarming Rates

Land subsidence due to settling and groundwater extraction poses significant risks to infrastructure and millions of residents.

Major cities on the U.S. Atlantic coast are sinking at rates surpassing global sea level rise, with areas like New York City, Long Island, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, and Norfolk experiencing significant land subsidence.
The land subsidence is due to settling, groundwater extraction, and other factors, and is affecting up to 14 million people and 6 million properties.
The subsidence rates vary from one to five millimeters per year, which may not seem significant but can lead to catastrophic events if not addressed.
The sinking land poses risks to critical infrastructure such as roads, runways, building foundations, rail lines, and pipelines.
The researchers warn that if these issues are not addressed, we could see some massive changes to the population of iconic U.S. coastal cities.