--- title: Washington, D.C. is Sinking Into the Ocean, Science Says description: New research says melting ice sheets mean Washington, D.C. will drop 6 inches in the next century. canonical: https://time.com/3978450/washington-dc-sinking-ocean/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-30T14:07:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T09:44:41.488Z article:section: Science og:title: Washington D.C. is Sinking Into the Ocean og:description: Not just metaphorically og:url: https://time.com/3978450/washington-dc-sinking-ocean/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb9ec6d41ebc5898c/69885d2d428a9e03b3cce69c/washington-dc-aerial.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: US-DC-SKYLINE og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Washington D.C. is Sinking Into the Ocean twitter:description: Not just metaphorically twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb9ec6d41ebc5898c/69885d2d428a9e03b3cce69c/washington-dc-aerial.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Washington D.C. Is Sinking Into the Ocean > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jul 30, 2015 2:07 PM UTC  The skyline of Washington, DC, including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, US Capitol and National Mall, is seen from the air at sunset in this photograph taken on June 15, 2014. The skyline of Washington, DC, including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, US Capitol and National Mall, is seen from the air at sunset in this photograph taken on June 15, 2014. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jul 30, 2015 2:07 PM UTC All the political gridlock in Congress and name-calling during election season may not matter as much when Washington, D.C. sinks into the ocean. According to [new research](http://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/25/8/article/i1052-5173-25-8-4.htm) conducted by geologists at the University of Vermont and the U.S. Geological Survey, the land in the Chesapeake Bay region, including the nation’s capital, is sinking rapidly. The sea level in the Chesapeake is rising at twice the global average and faster than anywhere else on the East Coast, the researchers say, which means D.C. will sink 6 or more inches in the next 100 years. The sinking is caused by melting ice sheets which caused underlying rock to bulge upward. As the ice melts, the rock bulge drops. Scientists say this will cause more flooding in the region, which is already getting worse from global warming. “Right now is the time to start making preparations,” said Ben DeJong, lead author of the study, in a University of Vermont [press release](https://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=news&storyID=21210). “Six extra inches of water really matters in this part of the world.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3978450/washington-dc-sinking-ocean/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3978450/washington-dc-sinking-ocean/"},"headline":"Washington D.C. 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