Already grappling with a problem of potholes linked to climate change, New York City is gradually sinking in water due to the weight of its skyscrapers.
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This is the conclusion of the principal researcher and geologist Tom Parsons of the American Geological Agency (USGS), who indicates that the southern tip of the borough of Manhattan is vulnerable to natural disasters in a study.
More than 8 million people live in New York, which is sinking 1-2 mm/year as sea levels rise.
Urban subsidence can be caused by groundwater withdrawal, natural soil compaction, tectonic effects, diversion of normal sediment accumulation, and the weight of cities themselves.
“New York faces significant challenges related to flood risk; the threat of sea level rise is three to four times higher than the global average along the Atlantic coast of North America…a deeply concentrated population of 8.4 million people faces varying degrees of danger”, can we read in The report.
“Urbanization itself can exacerbate the problem; the cumulative pressure applied to the ground by tall buildings contributes to subsidence through the initial primary settlement of the ground compression and the reduction of vacant space.”
The study chronicles the passage of two recent hurricanes that killed people and caused heavy damage in the Big Apple to illustrate the dangers that await the huge urban center, including the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.
“In 2012, Hurricane Sandy pulled seawater into the city, while heavy rains from Hurricane Ida in 2021 overwhelmed drainage systems due to heavy runoff in the mostly paved city.”
New York City is ranked third in the world “in terms of future assets exposed to coastal flooding,” the report adds.
According to Parsons, projected sea level rise poses a clear threat to coastal cities, with “an anticipated rise of 200-600mm by 2050 worldwide.”
2023-05-18 15:17:09
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