It turns out that New York City, the city that never sleeps, is actually sinking!
Researchers have discovered that the extraordinary weight of its towering buildings is causing the city to sink by about 1-2mm every year.
This sinking problem is making the rising sea levels even worse. As the Earth’s glaciers melt away and the oceans get warmer, the water around New York City is rising faster than in other parts of the world. Since 1950, the water has already gone up by about 22cm.
Now, here’s the really mind-blowing part. If we don’t take action, major flooding events caused by storms could become up to four times more common by the end of the century.
The researchers who discovered all this say that New York City’s 8.4 million residents are facing a serious challenge. They wrote in their study that the people of New York City are in different degrees of danger from flooding. That means some areas are more at risk than others.
But guess what? It’s not just New York City that’s in trouble. Many other cities around the world, especially the ones near the coast, will also face similar problems as the climate crisis gets worse. So, it’s not just the Big Apple that needs our attention—it’s the whole planet!
Here’s a fun fact for you: Did you know that all the buildings in New York City weigh about 1.68 trillion pounds? That’s like having 140 million elephants standing on the streets!
well good bye New York city, welcome the Ocean?