Subsidence, as a geoscientific topic, refers to the downward vertical motion or gradual sinking of the Earth’s surface relative to a reference frame such as sea level or the geoid, driven by natural or anthropogenic processes. Mechanisms include tectonic loading and flexure of the lithosphere, sediment compaction, dissolution of soluble rocks (karst), extraction of groundwater or hydrocarbons, and cryospheric thawing of permafrost. Subsidence is quantified using geodetic techniques such as GNSS, InSAR, and leveling, and is modeled through poroelastic, viscoelastic, and flexural frameworks to assess deformation, stress redistribution, and implications for coastal relative sea-level change, infrastructure stability, and basin evolution.
The World Settlement Footprint (WSF) Tracker and its dedicated online platform have been officially released at an event at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Environment
Jun 11, 2026
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13
For almost a century, researchers have known that vertical land motion—the lifting and sinking of the ground—affects sea level locally. As the ground sinks, the sea level rises relative to the land. Scientists also assumed ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 10, 2026
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83
Reservoirs around the world are losing storage capacity at an average rate of 7.3% per decade—disproportionately affecting small reservoirs, which together provide water to billions of people. The data come from a study published ...
Environment
Jun 5, 2026
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62
Densely populated coastal regions in many parts of the world are particularly vulnerable to flooding. The sinking of land masses exacerbates the impacts of rising sea levels in these areas, according to a study by researchers ...
Earth Sciences
May 18, 2026
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354
Cranfield University has launched a new soil and environmental online database and mapping tool, opening up detailed information about land in England and Wales. In collaboration with Defra, Cranfield's Land Information System ...
Molecular & Computational biology
May 3, 2026
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30
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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1143
Venice has coexisted with the sea throughout its 1,500-year history, perhaps better than any other city on Earth. Yet over the past century it has flooded increasingly often, as the sea rises and the city itself sinks under ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 25, 2026
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60
Relocating the city of Venice is among four potential options—including movable barriers, ring dikes and closing the Venetian Lagoon—that could help it adapt to future sea-level rise over the next 200 years, according to ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 16, 2026
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28
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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8
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, caused widespread population displacement and infrastructure damage. However, it has also led to an unintended environmental effect with notable changes in the country's landscape, ...
