Researchers from Columbia University, the University of California Irvine, and Virginia Tech have created a series of maps using satellite-based observations to show land subsidence—the gradual sinking of land—across the 28 most populous U.S. cities.This sinking is caused by both natural and human-driven factors, including groundwater extraction, heavy infrastructure, and sea-level rise. The visualization above displays average subsidence rates from 2015 to 2021, measured in millimeters. Darker orange areas indicate sinking land, while green areas represent uplift, or upward movement. Across all 28 cities, the maps identify nearly 29,000 buildings at risk, with the fastest subsidence rates recorded in the Texan cities of Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth.
Visualizing Sinking Cities
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