The study says the weight of all the skyscrapers is causing portions of the city to sink about one to two millimeters a year in some areas.
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That may not sound like much, but there are growing concerns that the more the city sinks, the more vulnerable the area becomes to natural disasters.
"As coastal cities grow globally, the combination of construction densification and sea level rise imply increasing inundation hazard," the study states. "The point of the paper is to raise awareness that every additional high-rise building constructed at coastal, river, or lakefront settings could contribute to future flood risk, and that mitigation strategies may need to be included."
According to the study, Lower Manhattan is at the greatest risk for floods and there are concerns for Brooklyn and Queens as well.
The key points of the study include:
-More than 8 million people live in New York City, which is observed to be sinking 1-2 mm/year, while sea level rises.
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-Researchers calculate the mass of all buildings in New York City and model the subsidence caused by the pressure they exert on the Earth.
-Researchers show detailed images of observed subsidence in New York City from satellite data.
Click here to read the full study and research article.
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