Subsidence, as a geophysical phenomenon, refers to the downward vertical displacement or gradual sinking of the Earth’s surface relative to a reference datum, driven by processes that reduce support in the underlying materials. Mechanisms include natural compaction of sediments, dissolution of soluble rocks (e.g., karst), tectonic extension, crustal loading and unloading, and anthropogenic drivers such as groundwater, hydrocarbons, or geothermal fluid extraction, as well as mining-induced void creation. Subsidence is quantified using geodetic and remote sensing techniques (e.g., GNSS, InSAR) and significantly influences stress fields, surface drainage, infrastructure stability, and hazard assessment in both natural and urban environments.
One of the most powerful radar systems ever launched into space has mapped the ground moving beneath one of the fastest subsiding capitals in the world: Mexico City. The findings show how quickly and reliably the NISAR (NASA-ISRO ...
Planetary Sciences
Apr 30, 2026
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A new study published in Science Advances reveals that sinking land—not just rising oceans alone—will be the main cause of future coastal flooding along Indonesia's densely populated Java Island, putting millions at risk ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 8, 2026
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Climate change's rising seas may threaten tens of millions more people than scientists and government planners originally thought because of mistaken research assumptions on how high coastal waters already are, a new study ...
Environment
Mar 4, 2026
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34
A study published in Nature shows that many of the world's major river deltas are sinking faster than sea levels are rising, potentially affecting hundreds of millions of people in these regions.
Earth Sciences
Jan 14, 2026
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In Arizona's Willcox Basin, just over an hour east of Tucson, fissures are tearing through the earth, wells are running dry, and strange areas are flooding when it rains. The cause is clear. As large agricultural producers ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 6, 2025
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Sinking land is quietly destabilizing urban infrastructure in India's largest cities, putting thousands of buildings and millions of people at risk, according to Virginia Tech scientists.
Earth Sciences
Oct 28, 2025
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Australia's changing climate is shaking things up, literally. New research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) warns that increasingly intense La Niña weather cycles are posing fresh challenges for homeowners, ...
Environment
Sep 11, 2025
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In its latest postcard from Mars, the European Space Agency's Mars Express returns to Acheron Fossae: a dramatic network of chasms carved into the surface of the red planet.
Planetary Sciences
Aug 6, 2025
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31
A UC Riverside study has found that as land in California's Central Valley sinks due to excessive groundwater pumping, so do local housing values.
Environment
Aug 1, 2025
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591
Parts of New Orleans and its surrounding wetlands are gradually sinking, and while most of the city remains stable, a new study from Tulane University researchers suggests that sections of the region's $15 billion post-Katrina ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 27, 2025
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