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.
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
1
84
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
0
36
