East Coast of the USA sinks into the sea: risk of flooding increases drastically

The east coast of the USA is in danger of going under in the future. The reason is, on the one hand, the rising sea levels and, on the other hand, the sinking areas of land.

Frankfurt – Since the beginning of industrialization Sea levels rose by 20 centimeters. The annual increase is currently around four millimeters. This is particularly problematic for residents of coastal regions. A study by the University of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg now shows that the risk of flooding on the east coast of the USA could triple within just a few decades. The reason is the combination of Climate change and the subsidence of large areas of land.

Flood risk on the East Coast of the USA: Large airports also affected

Densely populated cities such as New York, Baltimore and Norfolk are also affected. “The problem is not just that the land is sinking,” explains Leonard Ohenhen, lead author of the published study. The problem is that the hotspots of the sinking land directly overlap with centers of population and infrastructure. The ground movement not only increases the risk of flooding, but it also threatens it partly dilapidated infrastructureincluding buildings, roads, runways.

Geoscientist Ohenhen and his colleagues report in the journal PNAS Nexusthat New York's major airports, JFK and LaGuardia, are sinking an average of two millimeters annually. But the results of the study show that some areas of land are sinking by more than five millimeters per year, and in some places even by more than ten millimeters. In New York, Baltimore and Norfolk the subsidence rate is one to two millimeters per year as the subsoil is compacted and groundwater is withdrawn.

Flooding of large areas of land: This is a threat in the future

The results of the study also show that around 3,700 square meters of land will sink by more than five millimeters per year. In ten years this area will be five centimeters lower. At the same time, sea levels will rise by another four centimeters during this time. For the research, the team around Ohenhen measured the ground movements for the entire east coast between 2007 and 2020. This was achieved using radar measurements from satellites. (cln/dpa)