NASA Warns: Major U.S. Cities Are Sinking Faster Than Expected

According to a NASA-led study published in Science Advances, and highlighted by the New York Post, major U.S. coastal cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco are sinking at a much faster rate than previously estimated.

NASA researchers analyzed high-resolution satellite data from 2015 to 2023 and found that “vertical land motion,” including subsidence, is accelerating in several densely populated areas.

Subsidence, often driven by groundwater extraction, means the land itself is physically dropping. When combined with rising sea levels, the report warns that some regions could experience double the previously expected water rise by 2050.

Nearly 70% of Californians live near the coast, according to the study, placing homes, roads, airports, and infrastructure in increasingly vulnerable zones.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said the expansion of land areas affected by sinking is already “enough to put human life and infrastructure at risk.”

Experts emphasize that while natural tectonic movement plays a role, human-driven factors such as groundwater withdrawal make the situation less predictable, but more preventable.

Scientists involved in the research are calling for updated coastal planning, stronger monitoring, and better adaptation strategies.