New York City is literally sinking under the colossal weight of its own buildings.
It’s increasing the threat of rising sea levels for millions of residents.
With over one million buildings weighing a staggering 1.68 trillion pounds—equivalent to nearly two million fully loaded Boeing 747s—New York City is slowly compressing into the earth.
This phenomenon, known as land subsidence, is causing the city to sink by an average of one to two millimeters per year, with some areas dropping up to 4.5 millimeters annually. While a few millimeters may seem negligible, this downward shift is occurring in tandem with sea levels that are rising faster than the global average.
This dual threat places critical infrastructure, low-lying coastal neighborhoods, and transportation systems at an escalated risk of chronic, severe flooding.
The weight of the skyscrapers is only part of the equation; geology plays a major role as neighborhoods built on soft clay, artificial fill, and post-Ice Age glacial adjustments settle at faster rates. However, New York is far from the only metropolis facing this slow-motion crisis, as major cities worldwide, including Jakarta and Mexico City, grapple with similar subsidence challenges. While the Big Apple's iconic skyline is not in immediate danger of collapse, the shifting ground beneath its streets serves as a stark reminder that even our most monumental achievements remain subject to the inexorable forces of geology.
source: Parsons, T., Wu, P.-C., Wei, M., & D'Hondt, S. The Weight of New York City: Possible Contributions to Subsidence From Anthropogenic Sources. Earth's Future, 11(5), e2022EF003465.
ALT New York City is literally sinking under the colossal weight of its own buildings.
It’s increasing the threat of rising sea levels for millions of residents.
With over one million buildings weighing a staggering 1.68 trillion pounds—equivalent to nearly two million fully loaded Boeing 747s—New York City is slowly compressing into the earth.
This phenomenon, known as land subsidence, is causing the city to sink by an average of one to two millimeters per year, with some areas dropping up to 4.5 millimeters annually. While a few millimeters may seem negligible, this downward shift is occurring in tandem with sea levels that are rising faster than the global average.
This dual threat places critical infrastructure, low-lying coastal neighborhoods, and transportation systems at an escalated risk of chronic, severe flooding.
The weight of the skyscrapers is only part of the equation; geology plays a major role as neighborhoods built on soft clay, artificial fill.