According to recent geological research, the considerable weight of New York City’s numerous skyscrapers is causing the metropolis, with its over 1 million buildings weighing approximately 1.7 trillion pounds, to gradually sink lower into the surrounding bodies of water.
The city is experiencing a sinking rate of 1 to 2 millimeters per year, with certain areas subsiding at even faster rates.
Although this may appear inconsequential to casual observers, the gradual descent poses a significant vulnerability for New York City in the face of natural disasters, as highlighted by Tom Parsons, the lead researcher and geologist from the United States Geological Survey.