Washington DC, the United States' capital, is sinking into the ocean, with a "forebulge collapse" causing it, not water or climate change.
Forbulge collapse refers to the geological history of the area since the ice age. It was discovered that up to until 20,000 years ago, a massive sheet of ice rose a mile into the sky and its weight caused the regions south of the glacier, which includes Washington, DC, to bulge and elevate. The resulting hilly topography made the place seem to be a perfect location to build a country's capital.
Ben DeJong, the lead author on a study being conducted in the city, compared this occurrence to standing on a waterbed that was filled with viscous honey, GSA Today reported.
Any pressure on one side of the bed results to a rise on the other side. DeJong even warned that we should start making preparations for this phenomenon as early as now and stressed on the significance of the effect of an extra 6 inches of water, the University of Vermont said in a press release.
Some geologists believe that it is possible for Washington, DC to sink to as low as 6 inches in the next 100 years. Although the figure doesn't seem like much now, it is predicted that it will put military installations, buildings, homes, and national monuments at great risk.
With the low elevation of the areas that surround the state, the 6-inch drop will spell havoc for the Washington, DC state. They hope that the citizens who are in the forebulge collapse denial will accept the facts and take action.