25 of 28 Major U.S cities are sinking, and Houston is sinking the fastest. CNN’s Boris Sanchez explains this groundbreaking problem and how subsidence is quietly reshaping the ground we live on.

Houston

Land subsidence, the gradual sinking of ground, is increasingly affecting major cities in the United States, with Houston currently experiencing the fastest rates. The phenomenon, often caused by groundwater depletion and, in Houston's case, oil and gas extraction, can lead to significant drops in property values and damage to infrastructure. 

Research indicates that 25 out of 28 of America's largest cities are experiencing some degree of subsidence. In Houston, some areas are sinking by as much as two inches annually, creating uneven ground that stresses roads, buildings, and other critical infrastructure. The process is slow and often goes unnoticed, but its long-term impacts could reshape urban landscapes across the country.

Houston, we have a sinking problem

Imagine this, you buy a home and soon get a sinking feeling that something isn't right. This slow and gradual sinking of an area of land is called subsidence, and it's putting a strain on the very foundation of infrastructure around the world. One of the most extreme cases in the United States was in California's San Joaquin Valley, where between the 1920s to the 1970s, the ground in certain areas dropped up to 30 feet. Here subsidence was due to the booming growth of agriculture in the valley. The aggressive pumping of groundwater, known as aquifer depletion, removes water from the ground, resulting in open pore spaces that cause the sediment to compact and the ground above to sink. So say your new home is in this subsidence-affected area. The value of it likely just sank, too. A study from UC Riverside estimates the cost could have dropped over $16,000. You add up the lost aggregate housing value across the Central Valley, and that is nearly $2 billion. And subsidence isn't just affecting rural areas. New research finds that 25 of America's 28 biggest cities are sinking. Of these, the fastest sinking city in the U.S. right now is Houston, Texas. Houston is dealing with severe depletion of groundwater, like parts of California. But here, oil and gas extraction adds another layer to the problem. Other parts of Houston are sinking by as much as two inches a year. And while other areas are sinking slower, that uneven subsiding puts major stress on roads, buildings, and other parts of the city's critical infrastructure. The process happens slowly, often invisible to the human eye. But it has the potential to impact infrastructure in nearly 90 percent of America's largest cities. Over time, subsidence is literally reshaping the ground we live on.

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