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Land around the US is sinking. Here are some of the fastest areas.
WaPo via SFGate ^ | 5/30/2023 | By Kasha Patel

Posted on 05/30/2023 11:03:34 AM PDT by NohSpinZone

Imagine Earth's surface is like a stack of pancakes. The pancakes, or layers of soil and rocks, may appear fairly evenly stacked and fluffy. Over time though, the stack can become compressed, thinner and shorter.

Scientists observe this downward motion of land, called land subsidence, across the planet. While some regions of land experience uplift, many parts of Earth's surface are sinking - fast. Scientists are especially concerned for sinking locations near the coast, which are at a higher risk for flooding as sea levels rise in a warming world. Hurricanes and extreme rainfall events can also bring more damage to such low-lying areas.

But understanding this slumping land motion is not simple, scientists say. Even within the same city, some regions may be sinking at faster rates than other areas.

"If we look at the data, we don't see a city as a whole, uniform society. We generally see regions of hot spots where you can see parts of cities subsiding depending on what is happening," said NASA scientist David Bekaert, who has analyzed land subsidence in the United States and worldwide.

Some land subsidence, Bekaert said, is related to deep natural processes over long periods of time, such as responding to plate tectonic activity or to the retreating of the glaciers from the last Ice Age. Other sinking is linked to human activity, including extracting oil, water or minerals from underground. In cities, buildings can also add weight and push land down.

* SNIP *

Regions with the highest land subsidence in the United States are mainly located along the East and Gulf Coast, but here we selected a few hot spots around the country.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: California; US: New York
KEYWORDS: land; sinking; subsidence; us
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New York City, Houston, New Orleans, Norfolk, California Central Valley cited as the trouble spots.
1 posted on 05/30/2023 11:03:34 AM PDT by NohSpinZone
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To: NohSpinZone

New Orleans is sinking man, and I don’t wanna swim.


2 posted on 05/30/2023 11:04:00 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: NohSpinZone

It is called plate tectonics and now will probably be blamed on climate change.


3 posted on 05/30/2023 11:06:39 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: NohSpinZone

Land subsidence? I don’t believe it. Too many experts have demonstrated that is the sea level that is rising.


4 posted on 05/30/2023 11:06:51 AM PDT by ComputerGuy (Heavily-medicated for your protection)
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To: NohSpinZone

It’s so bad rich snobby libtards can’t buy enough of it for millions upon millions of dollars


5 posted on 05/30/2023 11:07:36 AM PDT by NWFree (Sigma male 🤪)
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To: dfwgator

Part of Kingston, Jamaica sunk into the Caribbean. This area was written about in many of the stories about the true Pirates of the Caribbean back in the 1600s. Now, it is underwater. ARRRR


6 posted on 05/30/2023 11:09:28 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: dfwgator

Port Royal is a town located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest city in the Caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and commerce in the Caribbean Sea by the latter half of the 17th century.[1] It was destroyed by an earthquake on 7 June 1692, which had an accompanying tsunami, leading to the establishment of Kingston, which is now the largest city in Jamaica. Severe hurricanes have regularly damaged the area. Another severe earthquake occurred in 1907.

Port Royal was once home to privateers who were encouraged to attack Spanish vessels, at a time when smaller European nations were reluctant to attack Spain directly. As a port city, it was notorious for its gaudy displays of wealth and loose morals. It was a popular homeport for the English and Dutch-sponsored privateers to spend their treasure during the 17th century. When those governments abandoned the practice of issuing letters of marque to privateers against the Spanish treasure fleets and possessions in the later 16th century, many of the crews turned pirate. They continued to use the city as their main base during the 17th century. Pirates from around the world congregated at Port Royal, coming from waters as far away as Madagascar


7 posted on 05/30/2023 11:13:11 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: NohSpinZone

The country is sinking alright.


8 posted on 05/30/2023 11:13:31 AM PDT by Right Brother
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To: NohSpinZone

The earth is falling! The earth is falling!


9 posted on 05/30/2023 11:16:09 AM PDT by Fester Chugabrew (/s)
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To: NohSpinZone

In just a couple more Billion years, our Sun will become red giant. That is what happens to all stars. It will be less hot compared tonow, but hot enough to burn all closer planets including earth.

Humans have been around for only about 10 million years compared to earth’s age of 5 Billion years. In other words humans have existed for 0.2% of time earth has been around. I predict humans will become extinct in less than 10 million years.

Enjoy the life and time we have been awarded while we can.


10 posted on 05/30/2023 11:16:32 AM PDT by entropy12 (Food is most popular anxiety drug, exercise is the least popular.)
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To: MtnClimber
It is called plate tectonics and now will probably be blamed on climate change.

It was always climate change. And it's been happening since the planet was formed.

But, we can stop it if we drive EVs and put solar panels on our homes and stop building cities and businesses and kill half the animals, including humans. To do all of that, we have to give 90% or everything we own to the government for equity sharing across the globe.


11 posted on 05/30/2023 11:17:23 AM PDT by adorno
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To: MtnClimber

12 posted on 05/30/2023 11:18:03 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Fester Chugabrew

Ahahahaha!


13 posted on 05/30/2023 11:18:12 AM PDT by skr (Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. - Proverbs 14:34)
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To: NohSpinZone
Wait, I thought most of the land mass was still springing back from the removal of the weight of the glacial ice sheets from the last ice age?

Post-Glacial Rebound

Post-Glacial Rebound was a reason given why we haven't seen as much ocean rise as predicted - the land is rising along with the oceans!

14 posted on 05/30/2023 11:19:26 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /Sarc tag really necessary? Pray for President Biden: Psalm 109:8)
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To: dfwgator
images
15 posted on 05/30/2023 11:24:07 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: NohSpinZone

Things wiggle and jiggle, even the biggest rocks of the earth.

Wait til the apocalypse. Bloop, no more islands.


16 posted on 05/30/2023 11:24:23 AM PDT by lurk (u)
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To: NohSpinZone

Couldn’t be bothered to read the story, but if it’s NOT mentioned, I’d bet it will be, and that point is: “This is all because of oil being extracted from deep in the Earth. We HAVE to stop using oil!”


17 posted on 05/30/2023 11:25:58 AM PDT by FrankRizzo890
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To: NohSpinZone
"But understanding this slumping land motion..."

Bad choice of words. A "slump" has a specific geological meaning, a sort of small-scale avalanche with a curved slip surface and characteristically leaves a horseshoe-shaped scarp at the surface.

FREE photo hosting by Host Pic.Org - Free Image Picture Photo Hosting

18 posted on 05/30/2023 11:33:00 AM PDT by Paal Gulli
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To: NohSpinZone

I think the country has a weight problem. Unfortunately, I’m partly to blame. This is an inevitable consequence of that.

I think the influx of fat people from south of the border has tipped the scale.


19 posted on 05/30/2023 11:34:07 AM PDT by Migraine
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To: FrankRizzo890

It very real out here in Central Valley CA. Because the state cut off the irrigation water, farmers we forced to pump out of wells. Well the land tends to settle when they pump a lot.


20 posted on 05/30/2023 11:34:41 AM PDT by Pocketdoor
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