“The Sinking of New York: Skyscrapers Increase Flood Risks, Study Finds”

New York is slowly sinking every day due to the crushing weight of skyscrapers and the fragility of the ground, according to a study. And that would increase the risk of flooding.

The skyscrapers weigh a total of 764 million tons. According to the study Earth’s FutureNew York City is subsiding one to two millimeters per year into the ground, which greatly increases the risk of flooding given the rising waters.

Certain districts of New York are more affected than others by this sinking, such as the south of Manhattan, certain districts of Brooklyn or Queens. They sag faster than others, up to twice as fast, according to researchers at the University of Rhode Island.

The cause of this collapse

The reason for this sinking comes from the nature of the soil, a mixture of clay, sand and silt, according to the study published in early May. Researchers call this phenomenon subsidence, which is the subsidence of the earth’s crust due to the loads exerted on it. In this case, the researchers focused on the “cumulative mass and downward pressure exerted by the built environment” of the Big Apple, although the causes of the subsidence are multiple.

The lower part of Manhattan is already between 1 and 2 meters below sea level, which makes this area particularly exposed to the risk of submersion. Seawater also damages the structure of buildings, which is another risk for the city’s 8 million inhabitants.

prevention

Moreover, New York is not the only city in this situation, cities like Rio de Janeiro, Venice, San Francisco, Amsterdam or Jakarta are also concerned. The researchers’ goal in publishing this study is to raise awareness about prevention. “The purpose of this article,” says Tom Parsons, geophysicist at the United States Geological Survey and study participant, “is to raise awareness that each new high-rise building built on the edge of sea, river or lake could contribute to the risk of future flooding”.

They therefore draw attention to the risks associated with the construction of large buildings by the sea, river or lake, which may contribute to the risk of future flooding.