Thirty-five luxury high-rise buildings on the shores of Miami Beach (USA) are sinking into the water much faster than experts previously thought. The discovery was a wake-up call for residents of the city, which has long been threatened by climate change and natural disasters.

Researchers have found that a large number of luxury apartment complexes along a 12-mile stretch are sinking at a rate previously thought impossible. The exact mechanism of this process remains a mystery.

Land subsidence is not a new phenomenon, especially in coastal areas where the soil is often less stable. However, the problem for Miami is that the retreat is happening faster than engineers predicted. Some buildings have already sunk by 2-8 cm, which is significantly more than expected.

“We knew that such buildings could give way a little, but we never thought it would happen so quickly,” says Falk Amelung, a senior researcher on the project.

According to him, the situation requires urgent attention, because if the process continues at this pace, the consequences could be devastating.

The cause of the accelerated subsidence has not yet been precisely determined. Scientists have put forward several hypotheses: from the impact of construction work and changes in groundwater levels to the influence of tides and even small earthquakes. However, none of them have yet received final confirmation.

Residents of coastal areas are starting to worry. After all, even if today these centimeters seem insignificant, tomorrow they can turn into serious problems. The stability of buildings, their ability to withstand natural phenomena – all this is called into question.

While scientists are looking for answers, residents of coastal areas are forced to live in conditions of uncertainty. Some have begun to think about the possibility of moving, others are hoping for a quick solution to the problem. But one thing is clear: without more research and the development of new technologies, dealing with this situation will not be easy.