Scientists have issued a chilling warning about some US cities which are said to be 'sinking' as a result of global warming.
Climate change is a divisive topic, one that seems to create disagreements even at the top of government.
So, if the head honchos of the US are struggling to agree on the matter, then it doesn't provide many answers surrounding climate change to the general public.
Experts in the field however are always a good source to listen to, with scientists now warning 34 million people in the US could be at risk.
A new study published in Nature Cities discussed this worrying trend, with the hope officials may take climate change more seriously.
"While often considered solely a coastal hazard due to the relative sea-level rise, subsidence also threatens inland urban areas, causing increased flood risks, structural damage and transportation disruptions," the study states.
"We estimate that at least 20 percent of the urban area is sinking in all cities, mainly due to groundwater extraction, affecting ~34 million people. Additionally, more than 29,000 buildings are located in high and very high damage risk areas."
It's believed that cities such as New York, Dallas, and Seattle are all slowly falling into the Earth, as estimates illustrate that around 20 percent of urban land across the US is currently affected by alarming levels of subsidence.
After using satellite data to create high-resolution maps of land movement between the years of 2015 and 2021, experts came to some intriguing findings.
Houston showed the highest levels of 'sinking', while the likes of Las Vegas, New York and Washington DC all have high numbers.
Study author Leonard Ohenhen told Newsweek: "In drought-prone regions, reduced surface water availability may increase dependence on groundwater, accelerating aquifer depletion and land compaction.
"Additionally, in coastal cities, the combination of subsidence and rising seas leads to increased relative sea-level rise—meaning the land is sinking while the water is rising, compounding the hazard.
"This shortens the timeline for when cities reach critical thresholds for chronic flooding."
The expert added: "When fluid is removed from the ground, particularly those composed of clay-rich or compressible sediments, the pore spaces collapse, leading to land compaction and surface subsidence.
"Houston, in particular, has experienced decades of aquifer drawdown. Subsidence is a silent but powerful force reshaping our cities.
"It's a slow, often invisible process that undermines infrastructure, increases flood risk, and quietly erodes urban resilience."