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.
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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30
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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590
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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108
A new study of the 28 most populous U.S. cities finds that all are sinking to one degree or another. The cities include not just those on the coasts, where relative sea level is a concern, but many in the interior. Furthermore, ...
Earth Sciences
May 8, 2025
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84
Swarms of earthquakes have been jolting southern Italy with increasing intensity since 2022, threatening hundreds of thousands of people living atop a volcanic area known as Campi Flegrei, where the land experiences slow ...
Earth Sciences
May 2, 2025
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209
Coastal sites subsiding at rates of up to 10 mm/year, making them more vulnerable to sea-level rise, have been pinpointed in new high-resolution maps of five major urban centers.
Earth Sciences
Apr 7, 2025
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36
