New York Is Slowly Sinking, Including The Hudson Valley
Many parts of New York State are literally sinking into the ground, including the Hudson Valley.
A new study published in the journal Earth's Future by U.S. Geological Survey researchers found some shocking date
New York City Is Sinking Due To Buildings
New York City is sinking at a rate of 1 to 2 millimeters per year due to the combined weight of its 1,084,954 buildings, which together exert a staggering 1.68 trillion pounds of downward force that compresses the underlying soil.
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The 1.68 trillion pounds of structures equals the weight of roughly 1.4 million elephants or 1.9 million loaded Boeing 747s sitting on top of the city.
Areas built on softer clay, sand, or artificial fill, including parts of Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, are sinking the fastest.
Skyscrapers anchored to solid bedrock are holding relatively steady.
The Hudson Valley Has Its Own Problem
The Hudson Valley is also sinking, though for a different reason entirely.
During the last Ice Age, a massive ice sheet covered parts of northern New York, pressing the northern crust downward and causing the land further south to bulge upward like a seesaw.
Now that the ice has been gone for thousands of years, the north is slowly rebounding while the southern bulge, including the Hudson Valley and Long Island, is sinking back down at roughly 1 to 2 millimeters per year.
The Hudson River makes things worse. It's a tidal river connected directly to the Atlantic Ocean. Rising ocean levels directly impact river communities.
The Hudson River has already risen about a foot over the past century. Projections show the Mid-Hudson Valley could see sea levels rise up to 27 inches by the 2050s and up to 71 inches by 2100.
Communities directly on the river, like Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Kingston, Catskill, Hudson, and Piermont, are among those facing the greatest risk, along with critical infrastructure including the Metro-North rail lines running along the waterfront.
The MTA launched an $800 million Hudson Line Climate Resilience Blueprint to elevate vulnerable tracks, clear choked culverts, and reinforce coastal retaining walls.
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