Skyscrapers make New York fall

There are more than a million buildings in New York, including a large number of skyscrapers, which together weigh nearly 771,000,000,000 kilograms.

In a new study, a research team reports that New York sinks 1 to 2 millimeters each year under sheer weight.

However, certain areas are sinking faster.USGS geologist Tom Parsons and colleagues wrote in the study.

Lower Manhattan in particular is said to be at risk, but concerns have also been raised about Brooklyn and Queens.

Researchers: New York is very weak

According to the study, New York’s sinking makes the city “extremely vulnerable” to natural disasters.

The researchers write that the risk of sea level rise is much greater in New York than along the east coast of the United States.

“New York faces great challenges in dealing with flood risks”As stated in the study.

The research team believes that neither the politicians nor the actors who build New York’s skyscrapers are taking the situation seriously enough.

Two tornadoes killed and severely damaged New York. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy pushed seawater into the city. The city’s sewage system could not handle the heavy rainfall from Cyclone Ida in 2021.”As stated in the study.

‘Problems growing along the coast’

With New York inundated, scientists are wondering if skyscrapers will be able to withstand future hurricanes.

The researchers point to “a combination of land subsidence through human influence and movements of the Earth’s crust, rising sea levels and increasing hurricane intensity.”

These factors point to a growing problem along the coast. When a home’s foundation is constantly exposed to salt water, it can corrode the reinforcement and weaken the concrete,” he said. stated in the study.