BLACKSBURG, Va. ( WFXR ) – According to new research from Virginia Tech, Denver is one of several major cities across the country that are slowly sinking.
A new study published in Nature Cities highlights 28 major urban cities in the US that are sinking by 2 to 10 millimeters every year.
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Denver is one of nine slowly sinking urban areas that are sinking by over 2 millimeters per year, according to the data. Other cities include New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Columbus and Seattle.
In every city studied, at least 20 percent of the urban area is sinking, and in 25 of 28 cities, including Denver, at least 65 percent is sinking. Additionally, areas of Houston and other cities in Texas showed the highest measured rates of subsidence between 5 millimeters to 10 millimeters per year.
Why is Denver sinking?
The lead author and former Virginia Tech graduate student, Leonard Ohenhen, said the main reason cities are sinking across the country is because of the extraction of groundwater…