New research study by Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey exposes that major U.S. Atlantic coast cities are sinking at rates going beyond worldwide sea level increase, with locations like New York City, Long Island, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, and Norfolk experiencing substantial land subsidence. Virginia Tech and USGS research studies highlight the seriousness of addressing this issue.Major cities on the U.S. Atlantic coast are sinking, in some cases as much as 5 millimeters per year– a decline at the oceans edge that well surpasses international sea level increase, confirms brand-new research from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey.High-Risk Urban AreasParticularly hard-hit population centers such as New York City and Long Island, Baltimore, and Virginia Beach and Norfolk are seeing areas of quick “subsidence,” or sinking land, along with more gradually sinking or fairly stable ground, increasing the risk to highways, runways, constructing structures, rail lines, and pipelines, according to a study released on January 2 in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.Expert Insights on Infrastructure Impact” Continuous unmitigated subsidence on the U.S. East Coast ought to trigger concern,” said lead author Leonard Ohenhen, a graduate student working with Associate Professor Manoochehr Shirzaei at Virginia Techs Earth Observation and Innovation Lab. They then produced some of the worlds first high-resolution representations of the land subsidence.These groundbreaking new maps reveal that a large area of the East Coast is sinking at least 2 mm per year, with numerous areas along the mid-Atlantic coast of up to 3,700 square kilometers, or more than 1,400 square miles, sinking more than 5 mm per year, more than the existing 4 mm per year global rate of sea level rise.Widespread Implications of Subsidence” We determined subsidence rates of 2 mm per year affecting more than 2 million individuals and 800,000 residential or commercial properties on the East Coast,” Shirzaei said. In the work “Slowly however definitely: Exposure of communities and facilities to subsidence on the US east coast,” Virginia Tech and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists determined how much the land along the East Coast has actually sunk and which areas, populations, and important infrastructure within 100 km of the coast are at danger of land subsidence.
New research by Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey reveals that major U.S. Atlantic coast cities are sinking at rates exceeding worldwide sea level increase, with areas like New York City, Long Island, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, and Norfolk experiencing substantial land subsidence. This phenomenon postures risks to crucial infrastructure. Credit: SciTechDaily.comU.S. Atlantic coast cities are sinking faster than the international sea level is increasing, positioning risks to facilities in largely populated areas like New York City and Baltimore. Virginia Tech and USGS studies highlight the seriousness of addressing this issue.Major cities on the U.S. Atlantic coast are sinking, in some cases as much as 5 millimeters each year– a decline at the oceans edge that well outpaces worldwide water level increase, verifies new research study from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey.High-Risk Urban AreasParticularly hard-hit population centers such as New York City and Long Island, Baltimore, and Virginia Beach and Norfolk are seeing areas of fast “subsidence,” or sinking land, along with more slowly sinking or fairly stable ground, increasing the risk to highways, runways, building foundations, railway, and pipelines, according to a research study released on January 2 in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.Expert Insights on Infrastructure Impact” Continuous unmitigated subsidence on the U.S. East Coast must trigger concern,” stated lead author Leonard Ohenhen, a graduate student working with Associate Professor Manoochehr Shirzaei at Virginia Techs Earth Observation and Innovation Lab. “This is particularly in areas with a high population and residential or commercial property density and a historic complacency toward infrastructure upkeep.” The above graphic functions: a spatial map of vertical land movement on the East Coast (left panel); main, secondary, and interstate roads on Hampton Roads, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach, Virginia (leading ideal panel); and John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (bottom best panel). The yellow, red and orange areas on these maps represent locations of sinking. Credit: Leonard OhenhenInnovative Mapping Techniques and FindingsShirzaei and his research study group gathered a vast collection of information points measured by space-based radar satellites and utilized this highly precise information to build digital surface maps that reveal precisely where sinking landscapes present dangers to the health of important infrastructure. Using the openly available satellite imagery, Shirzaei and Ohenhen measured millions of incidents of land subsidence spanning numerous years. They then developed a few of the worlds first high-resolution representations of the land subsidence.These groundbreaking new maps reveal that a big location of the East Coast is sinking a minimum of 2 mm per year, with numerous areas along the mid-Atlantic coast of up to 3,700 square kilometers, or more than 1,400 square miles, sinking more than 5 mm per year, more than the current 4 mm annually worldwide rate of water level rise.Widespread Implications of Subsidence” We determined subsidence rates of 2 mm annually affecting more than 2 million individuals and 800,000 residential or commercial properties on the East Coast,” Shirzaei said. “We understand to some extent that the land is sinking. Through this study, we highlight that sinking of the land is not an intangible hazard. It impacts you and I and everyone, it might be steady, however the effects are genuine.” In several cities along the East Coast, several critical facilities such as roads, airports, levees, and railways are impacted by varying subsidence rates.Leonard Ohenhen. Credit: Christina Franusich for Virginia Tech” Here, the problem is not simply that the land is sinking. The problem is that the hotspots of sinking land converge directly with population and facilities centers,” said Ohenhen. “For example, considerable locations of vital facilities in New York, including JFK and LaGuardia airports and its runways, along with the train systems, are impacted by subsidence rates exceeding 2 mm each year. The results of these right now and into the future are prospective damage to infrastructure and increased flood threats.” The Intersection of Subsidence and InfrastructureThe brand-new findings appear in the open access journal PNAS Nexus. In the work “Slowly but definitely: Exposure of communities and facilities to subsidence on the US east coast,” Virginia Tech and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists measured just how much the land along the East Coast has actually sunk and which locations, populations, and important infrastructure within 100 km of the coast are at risk of land subsidence. Subsidence can weaken building foundations; damage roadways, gas, and water lines; cause structure collapse; and exacerbate coastal flooding– particularly when paired with water level rise triggered by climate modification.” This details is required. Nobody else is supplying it,” stated Patrick Barnard, a research geologist with the USGS and co-author of the research study. “Shirzaei and his Virginia Tech group stepped into that niche with his technical knowledge and is offering something incredibly important.” Reference: “Slowly but surely: Exposure of communities and infrastructure to subsidence on the United States east coast” by Leonard O Ohenhen, Manoochehr Shirzaei and Patrick L Barnard, 02 January 2024, PNAS Nexus.DOI: 10.1093/ pnasnexus/pgad426.