New York City Sinking: Risks of Sea-Level Rise and Flooding

New York averages about one to two millimeters of subsidence each year. Some areas of the city are sinking twice as fast, researchers say.

Sinking exacerbates the effects of sea-level rise driven by global warming.

The sea level near New York has risen by about 22 centimeters since 1950. By the end of the century, sea-level rise and hurricane-induced flooding could be as much as four times more frequent than they are now.

“It’s not something to immediately panic about, but this process is ongoing, which increases the risk of flooding,” said Tom Parsons, the study’s lead researcher and a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey.

“The softer the soil, the greater the pressure from the buildings. It was not a mistake to build such large buildings in New York, but we have to remember that every time something is built there, the ground is pressed a little more,” said the researcher.