Leonard Ohenhen

Stories

71.5% of U.S. coastal land is sinking, study finds

As of September 2026: Lead author on East Coast subsidence studies

The ground under America's coasts is moving downward faster than scientists had mapped. New research analyzing more than 190 million data points finds that 71.5% of U.S. coastal areas are sinking at least 1 millimeter per year, with the Gulf Coast sinking fastest. Nearly a quarter of the coastline drops 3 millimeters or more annually.

Updated Sep 27