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With the sea rising around it, New Orleans could be headed for new lows.
In the midst of preparing for the arrival of another intense hurricane season, the city of New Orleans is continuing to rebuild from the decimation caused by Hurricane Katrina less than a year ago.
Urban planners in the Big Easy have their work cut out for them. But in addition to protecting the city from future storms, scientists are recommending that it be rebuilt as a sinking city.
According to researchers at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, New Orleans is sinking—in some areas up to 20mm per year. This phenomenon, combined with the expected worldwide rise in sea levels resulting from melting glaciers, means that, over the course of 100 years, the city could fall further under sea level, with levees falling several meters below the level where they were originally built. The group says this subsiding should be kept in mind with future levee designs.
