The gradual sinking or settling of the ground surface, often caused by the removal of underground water, oil, or minerals, or by natural geological processes. This downward movement can damage buildings and infrastructure.
From Latin 'subsidere' meaning 'to settle down' or 'sink,' combining 'sub' (under) and 'sidere' (to settle). The geological usage developed in the 19th century as mining and groundwater extraction revealed these phenomena.
Venice is sinking at about 2 millimeters per year due to subsidence caused by groundwater pumping and the natural compaction of sediments - combined with rising sea levels, this makes the city's famous floods increasingly severe! Mexico City has sunk over 30 feet since the early 1900s due to groundwater extraction from the clay-rich lakebed it sits on.
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