Coastal Cities Are Sinking, Not Just Rising The Hidden Threat of Land Subsidence The phrase "coastal cities are sinking" might evoke images of apocalyptic sea level rise, where metropolises are consumed by waves and swallowed by the ocean.
However, that's only half the story.
New research from a team of scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Tulane University reveals that in many densely populated coastal regions, the ground beneath our feet is quietly sinking – often due to human activities.