Archive · 19 May 2025
U.S. Cities Sinking: Study Reveals Land Subsidence Concerns
Imagine the ground in some big cities is slowly sinking, like a very slow slide.
Scientists used special satellites to find this is happening in 28 U.S. cities, including some of the biggest!
The ground is going down a tiny bit each year, and it's because of things like taking too much water from underground and how the cities are built.
This sinking can cause problems for buildings, roads, and other important things.
Scientists are working on ways to keep the ground from sinking too much, like watching it closely, controlling how much water we take, and building things that can handle the ground moving.
A satellite study found 28 major U.S. cities are sinking between 2 and 10 millimeters annually.
Cities including New York, Chicago, and Houston are experiencing land subsidence.
Groundwater over-extraction is identified as a primary cause in most affected areas.
Subsidence poses long-term threats to infrastructure, property, and public safety.
Experts recommend increased monitoring, groundwater controls, and resilient infrastructure design.
- Who
- Scientists from Virginia Tech conducted the study.
- What
- 28 major U.S. cities are sinking due to land subsidence.
- When
- The study was released on May 8 in Nature Cities.
- Where
- 28 U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, and Houston.
- Why
- Groundwater over-extraction and urbanization are major contributing factors.
- Affected Cities
- 28 U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, Houston
- Sinking Rate
- 2 to 10 millimeters per year
- Primary Cause
- Groundwater over-extraction
- Study Publication
- Nature Cities
- Lead Author
- Leonard Ohenhen