Sinking Cities and Rising Seas: A Looming Crisis on the U.S. East Coast
US East Coast, Serious Fears Arise. In a concerning revelation, recent satellite images have exposed continuous and unmitigated subsidence plaguing major cities and population centers along the U.S. East Coast. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and researchers from Virginia Tech have carefully collected data that shows worrying rates of ground sinking, or “subsidence,” in places like New York City, Long Island, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, and Norfolk.
According to the study, which was published in PNAS Nexus, parts of the US East Coast are sinking up to 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) a year. This rate surpasses the global sea-level rise, heightening concerns about the potential consequences for infrastructure, including buildings, roads, pipelines, and airports.
Leonard Ohenhen, the lead author of the study and a graduate student at the Virginia Tech Earth Observation and Innovation Lab, expressed serious apprehension, stating, “Continuous unmitigated subsidence on the U.S. East Coast should cause concern, particularly in areas with high population and property density and a historical complacency toward infrastructure maintenance.”
Working alongside Associate Professor Manoochehr Shirzaei, the research team utilized data from space-based radar satellites to construct detailed digital maps of the terrain. These maps revealed “hotspots” of subsidence occurring in densely populated areas and around critical infrastructure, such as airports and railway systems.
Shirzaei highlights the tangible impact of subsidence, stating, “We measured subsidence rates of 2 millimeters per year affecting more than 2 million people and 800,000 properties on the East Coast.” The study underscores that the sinking isn’t limited to the gradual decline of land.
Ohenhen emphasized the tangible impact of subsidence on millions of people and hundreds of thousands of properties, stating, “The effects of these right now and into the future are potential damage to infrastructure and increased flood risks.”
The sinking crisis takes on added significance when considered alongside another environmental challenge – the gradual melting of glaciers worldwide. The study draws attention to the interconnected nature of these phenomena, highlighting that the U.S. Atlantic coast’s sinking could exacerbate the risks associated with rising sea levels resulting from melting glaciers.
Simultaneously, another study underscores the threat posed by the melting glaciers worldwide, contributing additional water to the oceans. Published in PNAS Nexus, this research focuses on the subsidence rates of cities such as Baltimore, New York, and Norfolk, revealing that each city is sinking at rates between one and two millimeters per year, affecting vast land areas and populations ranging from 2,000 to 74,000 square kilometers and 1.2 to 14 million people, respectively.
Experts argue that urgent action is needed to mitigate the sinking and protect the infrastructure of these iconic U.S. coastal cities. The researchers stress the far-reaching implications for community and infrastructure resilience planning and call for a comprehensive approach to address the pressing issue.
Experts emphasize that in order to save infrastructure and maintain community resilience, mitigation techniques are urgently needed. With “significant impacts on community and infrastructure resilience planning,” the findings highlight how crucial it is to take preemptive steps to solve the sinking situation before irreparable harm is done.
