New research has suggested that many of the most populated cities across the United States are sinking, and this puts the lives and homes of over 34,000,000 Americans at risk.
The long-term effects and dangers of climate change are widely understood, even if many scientists recognize that not enough is being done to prevent Earth from reaching a 'tipping point' of no return, yet there are some unintended consequences that could accelerate risk.
Rising sea levels have emerged as one of the most prominent consequences of global warming as arctic ice sheets melt and oceans expand, and this puts many coastal areas at risk of flooding in the near future.
However, something that could speed up these dangers is the realization that many of the biggest cities across America are actually sinking, as a new study details the dangerous trend, as reported by Newsweek.
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It's understood that cities such as New York, Dallas, and Seattle are all slowly falling into the Earth, with estimates illustrating that around 20% of urban land across the United States is currently affected by alarming levels of subsidence.
A new study published in Nature Cities outlines this very trend, indicating that subsidence caused primarily by excessive groundwater extraction can lead not only to dangerous flooding but potential widespread structural damage.
"While often considered solely a coastal hazard due to the relative sea-level rise, subsidence also threatens inland urban areas, causing increased flood risks, structural damage and transportation disruptions," the study explains.
"We estimate that at least 20% of the urban area is sinking in all cities, mainly due to groundwater extraction, affecting ~34 million people. Additionally, more than 29,000 buildings are located in high and very high damage risk areas."
This is similar to studies conducted across Miami's coastal properties, which are currently experiencing sinkage that could cause them to suffer significant damage, and areas of New Zealand have also experienced alarming subsidence due to similar trends alongside dredging and land reclamation.
Climate change is additionally at the heart of growing global demands for water, as it increases the stress on areas experiencing higher temperatures with a lack of rain, which only increases the amount that the ground continues to sink.
Water is extracted from underneath the Earth, leading the soil to compact and pull what's above down with it. This not only increases the risk of flooding alongside rising sea levels, but it can also cause roads and buildings to fracture at their foundations.
"This shortens the timeline for when cities reach critical thresholds for chronic flooding," explains Leonard Ohenhen, the study's lead author, to Newsweek, issuing a warning against growing demands for water, which links to wider climate concerns.