New York City is sinking! Experts warn the Big Apple's weight is an issue

A study published by the scientific journal Earth’s Future reveals that New York City is slowly sinking under its own weight.

The research highlights that the city that never sleeps might be descending due to the high density of buildings.

The study, which has been shared by The New York Times and The Guardian, points out that this situation has been worsened by climate change and rising sea levels.

Researchers calculated the weight of the over one million buildings that are spread across the five boroughs that make up The Big Apple.

CNN explains that, according to their conclusions, New York weighs about 1.68 trillion pounds (762 billion kilograms), give or take a hot dog vendor.

This was then contrasted with satellite data of the surface geology to reveal how fast the city was sinking.

These types of studies are nothing new. According to The Guardian, the water level around New York City has risen 9 inches (22 centimeters) since 1950.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that the city that never sleeps sinks between two and four millimeters (three-twentieths of an inch) every year.

It might not sound like much, but The New York Times warns that it makes the city more prone to natural disasters, particularly when paired with climate change.

Not all parts of the five boroughs are sinking at the same rate. One expert cited by The New York Times affirms that the Queens and Brooklyn areas along the East River, will be the most affected, as well as Coney Island, Jamaica Bay, and the Rockaways.

Manhattan, on the other hand, is set on a bedrock and will take far longer to disappear under the waves. Though, Lower Manhattan will be seriously affected.

The Big Apple is hardly the only iconic city that is in danger of sinking under its own weight.

CNN cited a September 2022 study published by Nature that shows that 44 out of the 48 most populous coastal cities around the globe are facing similar problems.

Some of these cities include Houston, Istanbul, Lagos, Manila, and Ahmedabad.

Venice is probably the most famous example of a city that is slowly submerging. In the past few years, the famed Italian metropolis has gone through some of its worst floods.

According to the BBC, a worst-case scenario could mean that Venice’s sea level could reach 180 centimeters (about 6 feet) by 2100.

There’s been talks about reducing or limiting tourism, particularly the entrance of large yachts, in an attempt to mitigate the human impact on the historical Italian city.

Meanwhile, Jakarta was stated in 2013 by National Geographic to be sinking at the alarming rate of up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) every year.

The Indonesian government is slated to move the country’s capital from Jakarta to the planned city of Nusantara on the island of Borneo.

However, this doesn’t solve the problem for the over 10 million people who live and work in Jakarta.

As more cities and people are impacted by rising sea levels and climate change, one can’t help wondering when it will be too late to prevent disaster.