ArrowRight Scientists observe this downward motion of land, called land subsidence, across the planet. Many of the fastest sinking places in the world appear in populated areas in southeast Asia largely because of groundwater extraction, but the United States also faces substantial land subsidence. Gulf Coast: HoustonThe western Gulf Coast is experiencing some of the fastest land subsidence rates in the United States. Analyzing land subsidence rates in large coastal cities, Bekaert and his colleagues found Houston has the fastest peak subsidence rates — about 17 millimeters per year from 2014 to 2020 — in the United States. Some regions experience high land subsidence rates because of withdrawal of local oil and natural gas reserves.

Source: Washington Post May 30, 2023 10:17 UTC