COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus is sinking.
A new study from Nature Cities published on Thursday found that the city is sinking by about 2 millimeters per year.
The phenomenon is known as land subsidence, where the Earth's surface slowly sinks. While people often associate subsidence with coastal cities, it's actually happening elsewhere, too, according to the study.
Researchers found that 98% of Columbus' area is affected by subsidence.
The study attributes the subsidence to groundwater extraction, urban development, and climate change, noting that 13 of the cities on the list are among the fastest-growing cities in the country.
“Specifically, climate-induced droughts and the increasing demand for freshwater resources are likely to exacerbate the risk of subsidence, projecting a future where an increasing number of cities may face major challenges in subsidence management,” researchers wrote.
While it may not seem like much, “Even modest rates of urban subsidence can profoundly impact the structural integrity of buildings, roads, bridges and dams,” according to the study.
Nature Cities used geodetic measurements between 2015 and 2021 in the 28 most populous U.S. cities to create maps of subsidence rates. The organization estimates that more than 20% of the urban area in all cities is sinking due to groundwater extraction, affecting about 34 million people.
The study estimates that 29,000 buildings are located in “high and very high damage risk areas, indicating a greater likelihood of infrastructure damage.”
Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas showed the highest rates of subsidence, at more than 4 millimeters per year, according to the study.
“For cities susceptible to subsidence-induced infrastructure hazards, such as cities highlighted in this study, adaptation efforts should focus on retrofitting existing infrastructure, integrating subsidence sensitivity into construction codes, limiting infrastructure loading and enhanced monitoring of critical infrastructure,” researchers wrote.
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