Major Cities Worldwide Are Sinking, Satellite Data Reveal
Researchers found land subsidence in 465 cities across 107 countries, with groundwater pumping and uneven sinking putting buildings, roads and flood defenses at risk.
- On Monday, researchers Shengli Tao and Xie Hu of Peking University published a study in Nature Cities analyzing land movement across 465 cities in 107 countries using satellite data collected between 2014 and 2023.
- Land subsidence, the gradual sinking of ground, often stems from human activities like pumping groundwater or natural soil compaction, which contributes to shifting urban landscapes.
- Parts of Mexico City are sinking by approximately 8.5 inches annually, while Medan, Indonesia, recorded the highest citywide median sinking rate at approximately 33 millimeters, or 1.3 inches, per year.
- Sinking ground threatens infrastructure including buildings, roads, and drainage systems, while potentially increasing flood risks in affected urban areas.
- Researchers state that continued satellite monitoring is "better assisting policymakers in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions," while informing targeted mitigation strategies and identifying early warning signs of emerging threats.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Major cities worldwide are sinking, satellite data reveal
Land subsidence is the gradual sinking of the ground, which can damage buildings, foundations, and drainage and sewage systems, and may increase flood risks. However, information on land subsidence dynamics remains limited, which makes it difficult for policymakers to identify where risks are intensifying and where urgent intervention may be needed. Previous assessments have often used different methods or time periods, or focused only on small …
Mexican Urbes, with Mexico City at the head, and Southeast Asia have the highest levels of soil subsidence
An international research team analyzed ground subsidence in 465 cities worldwide using satellite radar and found that 7% of the observed areas in Busan, South Korea, are sinking by more than 1 cm annually. This suggests that anthropogenic factors, such as groundwater depletion, can affect ground stability and demonstrates the need for long-term monitoring and systematic urban management policies to prepare for flood risks, particularly in coast…
A uniform satellite analysis shows now where the decline is most pronounced and how its pace is changing. In parts of Mexico City up to 21.7 centimetres per year were determined, while some Asian metropolises also show high reductions across their city area. Beijing (China). If the soil [...] The article Satellite data show: Globally sink many million cities appeared first on scanxx
Radar data show the soil reduction for 465 major cities worldwide. Cities in Asia and Mexico are particularly affected. In Germany, the reduction is low.
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