Why is New York Sinking?

New York City’s popularity, opportunities, and fame make it a worldwide destination, but these things also leave it prone to many issues, especially ones that revolve around its development and urbanization. New York City isn’t just facing cleanliness and safety concerns –  it’s sinking. 

Recent research shows that on average, the New York City area sinks by 1.6 millimeters each year due to many factors including the weight of skyscrapers and buildings, climate change, and the structure of the land underneath New York City. 

New York City sits on many materials, including bedrock, sand, clay, artificial fill, and sediment. Most of these materials can and do compress under the mass of NYC’s skyscrapers, which amounts to nearly 1.7 trillion pounds, causing the elevation to decrease. However, these materials sink and compress at different rates, and areas built on artificial fill like Coney Island, Arverne, and Laguardia, sink much faster, up to around 4 millimeters a year. In addition to the city sinking under its own weight, climate change, and rising sea levels increase NYC’s threat of flooding. 

While a lot of New York City is sinking, some parts of Brooklyn and Queens are actually rising. More specifically, East Williamsburg is rising by around 1.6 millimeters a year, and Woodside used to also rise by almost 7 millimeters a year, but stopped in 2019.

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Sources

“New York City Is Sinking, and It’s Not Alone.” University of Rhode Island, 1 June 2023, www.uri.edu/news/2023/06/new-york-city-is-sinking-and-its-not-alone/.

Pearce, Fred, et al. “New York City Sinking under Weight of Skyscrapers.” Yale E360, 19 May 2023, e360.yale.edu/digest/new-york-sinking-skyscrapers-sea-level-rise.

“LED Study Pinpoints Areas of New York City Sinking, Rising – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, NASA, 27 Sept. 2023, climate.nasa.gov/news/3285/nasa-led-study-pinpoints-areas-of-new-york-city-sinking-rising/.