A new scientific study has raised serious concerns that 28 of the most populous cities in the United States are slowly sinking into the ground, with subsidence becoming an emerging urban crisis, 24NewsHD TV Channel reported on Sunday.
According to the TV channel report, published in the journal Nature Cities, the research highlights alarming data, particularly from nine major cities, including New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Columbus, Seattle, Denver, and Detroit, where the average rate of land sinking exceeds 2 millimetres per year.
In Houston alone, nearly 42% of the area is subsiding at a rate of 5 mm/year, while 12% is sinking even faster — over 10 mm per year. Similarly, the cities of Fort Worth and Dallas are experiencing subsidence rates exceeding 4 mm annually.
Experts say that the increased risk of flooding caused by rising sea levels and sinking ground could have serious implications for both residential safety and national economic stability.
According to the study, land subsidence is not confined to isolated areas — it's a nationwide issue, and government officials and city planners must treat it with urgency.
The key causes of this widespread urban subsidence include overextraction of groundwater, which leads to the collapse of empty underground cavities. Extraction of oil and gas, which disrupts the geological structure. The weight of massive buildings, exerting pressure that pushes land downward. Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and storms, which further erode and destabilise the soil.
The report also notes that uneven subsidence—where different parts of a city sink at varying rates—can tilt buildings, damage roads, and cause structural failures in urban infrastructure.
Environmental scientists warn that if left unaddressed, the ongoing land subsidence could have long-term, irreversible consequences for some of America’s most iconic cities.