As China’s cities grow, they are also sinking.
An estimated 16% of the country’s major cities are losing more than 10 millimeters (about 0.4 inches) of elevation per year and nearly half are losing more than 3 millimeters per year, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
These amounts may seem small, but they accumulate quickly. In 100 years, one-fourth of China’s urban coastal land could sit below sea level because of a combination of subsidence and sea level rise, according to the study.
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