A study published in the Scientific Journal revealed that New York City sinks 2 mm each year due to the weight of its buildings. Earth Future JournalAnd earlier this month.
The researchers calculated the weight of the city’s structures, which include the iconic Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, and came to roughly 2 trillion tons, which is equivalent to the weight of 140 million elephants. The scientists warned that “the city’s 8.4 million residents face varying degrees of flood risk.”
Although many of the buildings are built on a solid rock foundation, such as shale, there is an admixture of sand and clay on this bed, accentuating the subsidence. “It’s not something to panic right away, but there is an ongoing process that increases the risk of flooding,” noted USGS geophysicist Tom Parsons, who led the research.
Parsons said New York and other coastal cities “need to plan for this.” “If exposed to sea water over and over again, it can corrode steel and destabilize buildings, which is clearly undesirable,” he said. “Flooding also kills people, which is probably the biggest concern.”
Read also: “The new lie of the eco-terrorists”, article by Ricardo Felicio published in Issue 165 of Revista Oeste
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