The threat presented by the city’s sinking is being worsened by increasing sea levels.

New NASA Report: New York City’s Hotspots Sinking Faster Than Others

A recent NASA report reveals that New York City is facing the alarming issue of sinking, particularly in hotspots such as LaGuardia Airport, Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Coney Island. Research conducted by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Rutgers University indicates that the five boroughs of New York City are sinking at a faster rate compared to the city as a whole, which is sinking at a rate of 1.6 millimeters annually.

The report, published in Science Advances, highlights that from 2016 to 2023, the US Open Venue – Arthur Ashe Stadium, and runways at LaGuardia Airport experienced the most significant sinking. The stadium sank at a rate of 3.7 millimeters per year, while the runways at the airport sank at a rate of 4.6 millimeters per year. The rapid sinking in these areas can be attributed to their construction over previous landfills.

The sinking issue in New York City is further exacerbated by the rising sea levels, which have resulted in coastal flooding and increased vulnerability to hurricanes and storms. The devastating impact of Superstorm Sandy in 2012 serves as a stark example of the city’s susceptibility to such natural disasters.

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According to the NASA report, Interstate 78, which passes through the Holland Tunnel connecting Manhattan to New Jersey, is sinking at an alarming rate, nearly double that of the rest of the city. Additionally, areas such as the southern half of Governors Island, Midland and South Beach in Staten Island, and Arverne by the Sea in southern Queens are also experiencing accelerated sinking.

The New York metropolis’s sinking issue was first identified by the United States Geological Survey, which revealed that the city’s over 1 million buildings weigh close to 1.7 trillion pounds. This excessive weight is causing the gradual collapse of the city. The research indicates that New York City is sinking at a rate of 1-2 millimeters per year. Satellite data comparing the city’s footprint with the geology beneath it aided in determining this sinking trend.

The population of 8.4 million people concentrated in New York City faces varying degrees of inundation hazard due to flood and sea level rise, as the threat of sea level rise along the Atlantic coast of North America is 3 to 4 times higher than the global average. Geologist Tom Parsons, the lead researcher from the United States Geological Survey, expressed concerns about the challenges faced by New York City in terms of flood hazard and emphasized the need for effective strategies to protect the population and infrastructure.

Considering the cumulative mass of the buildings in New York City, which amounts to 764,000,000,000 kilograms or 1.68 trillion pounds, the researchers divided the city into a grid of 100-by-100-meter squares. By factoring in the gravitational pull, they converted the building mass into downward pressure. The researchers also cautioned that the increasing urbanization and activities such as draining and pumping groundwater could further contribute to the subsidence problem in New York City.