A study carried out by the Virginia Tech University and the United States Geological Survey revealed that important cities located in the Atlantic Coast of the United States is sinking up to five millimeters per year. Particularly affected population centers, such as New York, Baltimore, Long Island and Norfolk are seeing areas of “rapid sinking.”
According to the scientific article published in PNAS Nexus, this phenomenon increases the risk of damage to roads, building foundations, railway lines and public services. The subsidence rate of this area far exceeds he global sea level rise.
“The continuous and absolute sinking on the east coast of the United States should cause concern“, warned, through a statement, the main author of the study Leonard Ohenhena graduate student working with the associate professor Manoochehr Shirzaei in it Virginia Tech Earth Observation and Innovation Laboratory.
The research indicates that the 2000 and 74,000 kilometers of land which mainly cover the cities of New York, Baltimore and Norfolk – the Atlantic coast of the USA –, are exposed to subsidence rates that can reach up to 5 millimeters (mm) annually. “This is particularly in areas with a high population and property density and one Historical complacency towards infrastructure maintenance“, he detailed Shirzaei.
The first step of the study was to capture a broad collection of data and points measured by space radar satellites. Once this information was obtained, the group of specialists used it to build digital terrain maps that show exactly the areas that sink and that present potential risks to the city infrastructure.
These innovative maps revealed that a large area of the american east coast It sinks, at least, 2 mm per year. Even in various parts of the area analyzed, the annual subsidence rate rises up to 5mmthus surpassing the global increase in sea level.
“We measure sinking rates of 2 mm per year that affect more than 2 million people and 800,000 properties on the east coast”Shirzaei explained. In addition, the professor from the prestigious university highlighted that the study allowed us to know “to what extent the earth is sinking” and that this is a “tangible threat“with effects”gradual but real impacts“.
Subsidence itself is a natural process of the earth. However, the development of large cities – super populated and with extensive building development -, added to the ongoing climate crisis, accelerates this process and represents an alarm for the cities affected by its potential risks.
What consequences could affected areas in the United States face?
The main problem with this phenomenon is not that the earth is sinking, but rather that “the critical sinking points of the earth intersect directly with densely populated areas and infrastructure centersOhenhen explained.
This implies a risk for large cities because, as satellite images demonstrate, the phenomenon can cause: damage in the construction foundation, roadslines of public services, building collapse and worsen coastal flooding. The latter is aggravated by coinciding with the Rising sea levels caused by the climate change.
In NYFor example, research shows that important areas of critical infrastructuresuch as JFK and La Guardia airports, as well as its railway systems, are affected by subsidence rates that exceed 2mm per year. “The effects of this now and in the future are potential damage to infrastructure and “increased risk of flooding”Onhenen added.
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Due to the complexity of the situation, the traditional solutions – such as raising dikes – become difficult to apply in these cases. In this sense, the study raises the need to address the environmental crisis to guarantee the proper functioning, survival and well-being of threatened areas.
The United States is not the only country currently experiencing this crisis. Added to the list of this new challenge are cities such as Jakarta (Indonesia) and Alexandria (Egypt).
Source: Ambito
