Ceux qui voyageront à Paris auront l'occasion d'admirer une œuvre éphémère gigantesque cet été. Le plus vieux pont de la capitale, le Pont-Neuf, a été transformé en une vaste caverne gonflable par l'artiste contemporain JR. L'ouverture a toutefois été reportée. @tamaralt
New York City is slowly sinking under the immense load of its urban infrastructure. With more than one million buildings spread across its five boroughs, the city ranks among the heaviest urban areas on the planet. Researchers estimate that these structures collectively weigh about 1.68 trillion pounds (762 billion kilograms), roughly the same as 1.9 million fully loaded Boeing 747 aircraft.
This enormous mass is contributing to a geological process called subsidence, in which land gradually sinks over time. On average, New York City is subsiding at a rate of 1 to 2 millimeters (0.04 to 0.08 inches) per year, with some neighborhoods experiencing faster rates of up to 4.5 millimeters (0.18 inches) annually.
While the buildings play a significant role, they are not the only factor. Many areas rest on soft soils, clay layers, or artificial fill that compress more readily under pressure. Additional influences include groundwater fluctuations and the long-term effects of post-glacial rebound from the last Ice Age.
Individually, these small annual shifts may seem minor. However, when combined with rising sea levels, which are increasing faster than the global average around New York — the relative risk of flooding grows steadily. Low-lying coastal neighborhoods, infrastructure, transportation networks, and waterfront areas are particularly vulnerable.
New York is not unique in this regard. Many major global cities, including Jakarta, Shanghai, Mexico City, and parts of Tokyo, are also experiencing notable subsidence.
Although the process occurs too slowly for daily notice, its cumulative effects over decades can be substantial. New York’s iconic skyscrapers are not at risk of sudden collapse, and the city faces no imminent disappearance. Still, this phenomenon serves as a compelling reminder that even the world’s greatest metropolises remain subject to the slow, powerful forces of geology.
[Parsons, T., et al. (2023). "The Weight of New York City: Possible Contributions to Subsidence From the Built Environment." Earth's Future. DOI: 10.1029/2022EF003465]
Trump:
Many don't know, in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower, 1889, it was built. It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World's Fair.
And then they said, "You know, we sort of like it. Let's leave it up a little bit longer." And then they said, "Let's leave it up longer and longer and longer." Well, they never took it down.
And, you know, we're building something in front of the White House that's quite attractive to a lot of people. It's gonna have the big UFC fight on June 14th.
And I'm looking at it, and maybe we'll never, ever take it down.
Vous avez visionné ma vidéo sur le pont de Québec? Maintenant, enrichissez votre perspective avec le lourd constat qui s’impose en 2026, quand on fait les liens nécessaires avec ce reportage de 1988: