Due in part to human intervention, the east coast of the United States is threatened by more frequent flooding, as it is submerging up to 3 millimeters per year , according to a new study from the universities of Bonn, South Florida and from Rhode Island.
The work has been published in the journal Scientific Reports .
Floods
The international team evaluated the data from the east coast of America, including GPS and satellite measurements. According to Makan A. Karegar of the University of South Florida, currently a visiting researcher at the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation at the University of Bonn, one of the reasons for this sinking is due to the human factor.
The researchers assume that it is caused by the significant use of groundwater in the corresponding region. Water allows the land mass to swell to a certain degree . Nevertheless:
When groundwater is removed, the land mass can be compressed much more. It practically collapses on itself and thus sinks even further.
Depending on the distance from the sea, the creation of reservoirs can also contribute to the sinking or even the uplift of the coastal region.