New York City’s buildings are sinking the city, while sea levels keep rising. | Photo by Gary Hershorn / Getty Images
New York City is sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers, new research shows, which could put its population of more than 8 million people at an increased risk of coastal flooding.
A new study by the United States Geological Survey found the city is sinking at a rate of about 1–2mm per year, although certain parts of lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and northern Staten Island are sinking at a faster rate of 2.75mm each year.
This could worsen the city’s already high risk of coastal flooding as a result of climate-amplified sea level rise. The New York City Panel on Climate Change estimates that, while the world’s sea levels have risen by about 0.5 inches per decade, New York City has had a much faster rate of about 1.2 inches per…
