In the study, geological changes under the city were simulated and then compared with real, observed data. A scientific article has already been published in Earth’s Future.

New York prisoner?

Gradual subsidence of the earth’s surface occurs when soft sediments are “compressed” or when the load pressing on the earth is too high (such as in Antarctica).

The study showed that New York is sinking at a rate of 1-2 millimeters per year under the weight of skyscrapers. Deformation could pose problems for the low-lying city of more than 8 million people. This is primarily the increased risk of flooding, exacerbated by the general rise in sea level on the planet.

Every new tall building built on the shore of a shore, river or lake can increase the risk of future flooding.
– write the authors of the article, scientists from the US Geological Survey and the University of Rhode Island.

The total mass of more than one million buildings built in New York totaled 764 million tons. Estimates include only the mass of buildings and their contents, but do not include New York’s highways, sidewalks, bridges, railroads, and other paved areas that add tremendous surface tension given the complex geology beneath sand-rich New York City. silt and clay lake deposits.

Lower Manhattan turned out to be the most prone to collapse. The researchers warn that increased urbanization, including drainage and pumping of groundwater, could only exacerbate the problem.

A similar situation is characteristic of all coastal megacities of the world. For the most part, land is sinking faster than sea level rise, which means: Residents will face floods sooner than climate models predict.