The biggest cities in the US are sinking, a study found. The phenomenon could tilt buildings and damage infrastructure.

A map of New York City shows where it's sinking and how much, including a hotspot around LaGuardia Airport.

Adapted from Ohenhen et al., Nature Cities, 2025

• All the biggest US cities are sinking, a new study found with satellite analysis.
• In 28 cities, about 29,000 buildings are at risk of damage and worsening flooding.
• This sinking, or subsidence, is mostly caused by groundwater use, the study found.

The ground is slowly sinking or deforming beneath all the biggest cities in the US...