New York City sinking at faster rate, 8 mn at coastal flooding risk

New York: New York City is sinking about 1-2 mm per year, from the weight of its skyscrapers, finds a study showing that the increasing sea level rise could put its over 8 million population at risk of coastal flooding.

The study, published in the journal Earth’s Future, showed that the city faces accelerating inundation risk from sea level rise, subsidence, and increasing storm intensity from natural and anthropogenic causes.

Satellite observations made by researchers at the United States Geological Survey demonstrated an average 1-2 mm/year subsidence rate across New York City. However, certain parts of lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and northern Staten Island were found to be sinking at a much faster rate of 2.75mm each year.

“New York is emblematic of growing coastal cities all over the world that are observed to be subsiding meaning there is a shared global challenge of mitigation against a growing inundation hazard,” the researchers said, warning that new buildings in the city could be at increased threat of floods.

As coastal cities grow globally, the combination of construction densification and sea level rise imply increasing inundation hazard.

“Every additional high-rise building constructed at coastal, river, or lakefront settings could contribute to future flood risk,” the researchers said, stressing the need to increase mitigation strategies.

Further, the researchers found that areas with clay-rich soil are likely to see an increase in subsidence “because of the material softness and ability to flow under pressure”.

The study showed that major cities around the world are expected to grow disproportionately relative to rural areas, with a projected 70 per cent of the world’s population living in cities by 2050.

Major cities on every continent except Antarctica are observed to be subsiding, and the issue may be worsened as populations grow.

“Increasing urbanisation will likely exacerbate subsidence by groundwater extraction and/or construction density, which combined with accelerating sea level rise implies a growing flood hazard in coastal cities,” the geologists said, calling for mitigation strategies against inundation in growing coastal cities.
IANS

Study decodes how land conditions impact summer monsoons in Asia

Tokyo: A team of Japanese researchers have identified how conditions on land will impact weather during summer monsoons in Asia. Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University used numerical simulations to analyse...

Deficit snowfall poses growing risk of glacial lake outburst in Himalayas, warn glaciologists

Shimla: The reduced snowfall in the Himalayas increases glacial lakes that pose a growing risk of lake outburst floods in the Himalayas, warn glaciologists. They call for increasing preparedness, international...

Summer-like temperatures felt across Japan

Tokyo: Warm air flowing from the south drove temperatures higher in Japan's Pacific Ocean coast regions on Tuesday, with record-high temperatures recorded at many locations, the weather agency said. By...

TN govt announce chemical free programme to improve soil quality

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam on Tuesday announced a chemical free programme to improve soil quality called -- Chief Minister’s Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom Scheme...

5.5 tons of radioactive water leaked from Fukushima nuclear plant

Tokyo: Approximately 5.5 tons of water containing radioactive materials have leaked from equipment at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, local media reported. Workers discovered water leaking from the outlet...

‘Severe’ air quality chokes Delhi most of the days in January

New Delhi: Throughout January, Delhi grappled with persistent air pollution, exacerbating a crisis that had already been worsening since the previous year. Unfavourable weather conditions, including fog, calm winds, and...

Delhi’s bad AQI in January raises concerns, experts flag temperature inversion & urban factors

New Delhi: The days when "parali" (stubble) burning in neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab was solely blamed for rising pollution levels in Delhi from October to the first week...

NGT seeks report on encroachments of waterbodies, wetlands in TN

Chennai: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a report from the Tamil Nadu chief secretary on district-wise encroachments on waterbodies, wetlands and river poramboke land. Following news paper reports...

Higher reaches receive light snowfall in J&K

Srinagar: Night temperature rose across J&K on Friday as higher reaches received light snowfall. Higher reaches like Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Zojila Pass, Pir Ki Gali on Mughal road, Sinthan Pass, etc.,...

Delhi turns into ‘gas chamber’, air quality in ‘severe’ category

New Delhi: There seems to be no relief from deteriorating air quality despite the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage-II in force as the...

Namibian cheetah ‘Jwala’ gives birth to three cubs in Kuno

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP) got three new guests as Namibian cheetah 'Jwala' gave birth to three cubs. Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav shared this information on his...

IMD issues ‘red alert’; fog and cold day conditions likely to continue in North India

New Delhi: Seeing no relief in the ongoing weather pattern, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert on Sunday, indicating that dense to very dense fog and cold...

Read Previous

Paradromics inches closer to FDA approval for brain implant

Read Next

Karishma Modi is excited for her Cannes debut with Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Kennedy’

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com