US coastal cities are sinking – alarming study

A new study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment has found that approximately 71.5% of US coastal areas are subsiding at a rate of more than 0.1 cm per year. The most critical situation is along the Gulf Coast. Causes include both natural geological processes and excessive groundwater extraction. Infrastructure and 84.3 million people are at risk.

A new study published in the authoritative scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment has revealed that US coastal cities face a dual threat: in addition to rising sea levels, the land beneath them is rapidly subsiding. An international team of scientists analyzed over 190 million measurements of vertical crustal displacement collected from satellites between 2007 and 2020. The results showed that about 71.5% of US coastal areas are subsiding at a rate of more than 0.1 centimeters per year. The highest rates were recorded along the Gulf Coast: 43% of the coastline is sinking at a rate of at least 0.2 centimeters per year, and nearly a quarter of the territory at 0.3 centimeters per year or more. Scientists attribute the process to both natural geological factors and excessive groundwater extraction for industry and agriculture. Approximately 84.3 million people are in the risk zone. Subsidence reduces the effectiveness of levees and drainage systems, increasing the risk of catastrophic flooding and accelerating infrastructure wear.