US Geological Survey scientists have announced that the weight of skyscrapers is causing New York City to sink.
The results of a new study conducted by experts from the department showed that the “Big Apple” is starting to sink.
There are about a million buildings in New York with a total weight of 770 million tons. Because of this load, the city began to sink by 1-2 mm annually, and in some places more and faster.
Although these numbers are very small, the gradual approach to the water makes cities vulnerable to natural disasters, especially the areas of Brooklyn, Queens and lower Manhattan, according to scientists.
“New York is facing severe flooding problems as sea levels here rise 3 to 4 times higher than the global average along the Atlantic coast of North America,” says geologist Tom Parsons.
According to him, floods are dangerous for both people and buildings. Because the constant exposure of its foundation to salt water will corrode the rebar, which will weaken the concrete. This fact is not taken into account by most developers in their projects.
Notably, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced in February 2022 that sea levels in the United States will rise more in the next three decades than in the last hundred years. For this reason, coastal cities, including New York and Miami, will be at risk of flooding.
Source: Linta. EN
