Parts of California are sinking and affecting sea level
Climate change is bringing the land to the sea


The combination of human activity and climate change is causing several regions of California to sink. New data also details how vertical land motion may play a larger part in rising sea levels than previously expected. These changes are increasingly likely to put communities at risk for heavy flooding in the future.
Sinking cities
The land beneath major coastal cities in California is sinking, which will likely have an effect on sea levels, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. The implicated areas include parts of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. "In many parts of the world, like the reclaimed ground beneath San Francisco, the land is moving down faster than the sea itself is going up," said Marin Govorcin, the lead author of the study and a remote sensing scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a NASA statement. There were also locations of uplift, like Santa Barbara.
Vertical land motion can be attributed to "natural processes, such as the movement of tectonic plates, and human factors, like the pumping of groundwater," said Live Science. The most dramatic land sinking is happening in the Central Valley, "where the ground subsides as much as eight inches per year due to groundwater withdrawal amid drought," said Smithsonian Magazine. "In regions of the Bay Area, the land dropped by more than 0.4 inches per year as the sediment became more compact." On the flip side, Santa Barbara is rising because the groundwater in the region has been replenishing since 2018.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Human activity complicates the future of these regions. Processes like hydrocarbon production and groundwater extraction "increase uncertainties in the sea level projections by up to 15 inches (40 centimeters) in parts of Los Angeles and San Diego counties," said the NASA statement. "Reliable projections in these areas are challenging" due to the "unpredictable nature of human activities."
Rising concern
Sinking land occurring in tandem with the rising sea spells trouble for California. By 2050, California sea levels are expected to rise between 6 and 14.5 inches higher than year 2000 levels. This may lead to an estimated $17.9 billion worth of flood damages to residential and commercial buildings, according to a 2018 California climate assessment, with coastal communities particularly at risk. The Science Advances study also found downward motion — associated with slow-moving landslides — is physically bringing the land closer to the Pacific Ocean. Most of the sea level rise is happening as a result of climate change, which causes glaciers and ice sheets to melt.
California is not the only location where land is sinking. Separate studies have found that Chicago and New York City are gradually sinking as well. As the years progress, many coastal communities around the world are likely to be in danger if they do not implement proper methods of preparation and climate change mitigation. These findings underscore the "importance of incorporating local VLM [Vertical Land Motion] with realistic uncertainties into relative sea level projections to improve and ensure effective coastal adaptation strategies," the study said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Kamala Harris steps back on center stage
IN THE SPOTLIGHT In her first major speech since Donald Trump took office, the former presidential candidate took solid aim at this administration as speculation grows about her future
-
Supreme Court may bless church-run charter schools
Speed Read The case is 'one of the biggest on church and state in a generation'
-
5 refreshing books to read this May to hop into spring
The Week Recommends A look at womanhood in the digital age, an ode to second chances and more
-
The worst coral bleaching event breaks records
The Explainer Bleaching has now affected 84% of the world's coral reefs
-
Why UK scientists are trying to dim the Sun
In The Spotlight The UK has funded controversial geoengineering techniques that could prove helpful in slowing climate change
-
Anti-anxiety drug has a not-too-surprising effect on fish
Under the radar The fish act bolder and take more risks
-
Electric ferries are becoming the next big environmental trend
Under the Radar From Hong Kong to Lake Tahoe, electric ferries are the new wave
-
Ukraine is experiencing an 'ecocide' and wants Russia to pay
Under the radar The environment is a silent victim of war
-
How wild horses are preventing wildfires in Spain
Under The Radar The animals roam more than 5,700 hectares of public forest, reducing the volume of combustible vegetation in the landscape
-
Scientists invent a solid carbon-negative building material
Under the radar Building CO2 into the buildings
-
Dozens of deep-sea creatures discovered after iceberg broke off Antarctica
Under the radar The cold never bothered them anyway