subsidence
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Credit: Virginia Sea Grant/Flickr
Rising sea levels pose new challenges for southern US coasts
A rapid increase in sea levels across the southern U.S. is compelling coastal communities to adapt to unprecedented environmental changes.
Chris Mooney, Brady Dennis, Kevin Crowe, and John Muyskens report for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Tide gauges from Texas to North Carolina show a sea level rise of at least 6 inches since 2010, mirroring the previous half-century's rise.
- The region faces multiple secondary effects, such as failing septic systems and higher insurance rates, alongside increased flooding.
- Local efforts to adapt are underway, including infrastructure enhancements and federal funding initiatives to mitigate future risks.
Key quote:
“Storm water flooding is getting worse and is unsustainable. Almost all our systems are gravity fed, and they were built out a long time ago.”
— Renee Collini, director of the Community Resilience Center at the Water Institute
Why this matters:
Persistent, inexorable sea level rise challenges existing infrastructure and increases risks by, among other things, contaminating water supplies and limiting access to essential services. Read more: Severe flooding increasingly cutting people off from health care.
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Credit: Malcolm K./Flickr
Mexico city's metro system faces sinking crisis due to subsidence
A dire study reveals that Mexico City's metro system is sinking rapidly due to subsidence, posing risks to its infrastructure and passenger safety.
In short:
- Subsidence, caused by the compaction of land due to groundwater extraction, is sinking Mexico City at rates of up to 20 inches per year.
- The uneven sinking poses threats to infrastructure, with nearly half of the elevated segments of the Metro experiencing differential subsidence.
- Flooding, electrical system disruptions, and increased rail slopes are among the potential dangers.
Key quote:
“Trains can get derailed very easily if there is a slight change in the leveling of the railways.”
— Manoochehr Shirzaei, environmental security expert at Virginia Tech.
Why this matters:
As cities face subsidence due to over-extraction of groundwater and global sea levels continue their inexorable rise, infrastructure risks and public safety concerns amplify. Can we adapt to climate change in ways that solve other problems too?
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Credit: Water Alternatives Photos/Flickr
Louisiana's coastal wetlands face critical threat from rising sea levels
A recent study highlights the perilous state of Louisiana's coastal wetlands, with a majority facing "drowning" due to unprecedented sea level rise, posing significant risks to the region's natural defenses and ecosystem.
Brady Dennis and Chris Mooney report for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Scientists have found that 87% of Louisiana's coastal wetlands are unable to keep pace with rapidly rising sea levels, significantly impacting their survival.
- The state has already lost more than 2,000 square miles of wetland since 1932, exacerbating vulnerability to hurricanes and storm surges.
- Efforts to restore coastal wetlands through extensive and costly projects are underway, but the natural progression of sea level rise presents a daunting challenge.
Key quote:
“The Earth is mostly ocean, and it’s becoming more ocean. That’s the bottom line.”
— Adam Langley, wetlands researcher and biology professor at Villanova University
Why this matters:
Louisiana's wetlands are crucial for protecting against storms, filtering pollutants, and supporting wildlife. Future sea level rise is notoriously difficult to predict, with myriad interconnected variables at play.
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Credit: Brent Penman/Flickr
The East Coast's slow descent into the ocean intensifies threats from sea level rise
A recent study highlights the increasing peril to coastal communities from land subsidence and sea level rise, exacerbated by groundwater depletion.
Mira Rojanasakul and Marco Hernandez report for The New York Times.
In short:
- Satellite research by Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey emphasizes an urgent need to address coastal threats, with nearly 40% of Americans living in vulnerable areas.
- Groundwater overuse is pinpointed as a significant factor for the sinking land, aggravating the impact of global sea level rise.
- The study identifies "distortion hotspots" in areas like Cape Canaveral and the Delmarva Peninsula, where land movement threatens infrastructure.
Key quote:
“You have a hazard that is becoming worse every day with sea level rise.”
— Leonard Ohenhen, Ph.D. candidate at Virginia Tech.
Why this matters:
The slow encroachment of the sea, coupled with sinking land, poses a silent but escalating threat to infrastructure, homes, and emergency routes along the East Coast. Vulnerable populations with nowhere to go are likely to suffer the most.
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The world’s essential aquifers are in deep trouble
New research finds that the groundwater systems that hydrate your life are in rapid, sometimes accelerating decline around the globe. Here’s how to stop the retreat.
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Biden administration reportedly pauses approval of ‘carbon mega bomb’ gas export hub
Calcasieu Pass 2, positioned near the rapidly eroding Louisiana shoreline, would be the biggest such export terminal in the US.
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Credit: Chesapeake Bay Program/Skyler Ballard/Flickr
Sinking US cities already face ‘real impacts’ as subsidence poses risk to buildings and roads
‘Hotspots of sinking land intersect directly with population and infrastructure hubs,’ researchers warn.
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