US Cities Sinking: Texas Leads, But New York Also Faces Subsidence Threat

Several major U.S. cities are facing the issue of land subsidence, a gradual sinking of the ground. A recent study highlights this problem, revealing that cities like Houston, San Antonio, and New York City are experiencing sinking at rates exceeding 2 millimeters per year. This subsidence is attributed to both natural geological processes and human activities, primarily the extraction of groundwater and oil. "The fastest rate of land subsidence is happening in Texas cities such as Houston, San Antonio, and so on," explains Manoochehr Shirzaei, Associate Professor of Geophysics at Virginia Tech, in the video. While the situation is serious, the relatively slow rate of sinking provides a window of opportunity to implement effective adaptation and mitigation strategies. This allows for proactive measures to be taken to minimize future damage and displacement.