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Dubai’s $12 Billion Artificial Island: Is Palm Jumeirah Really Sinking?
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai is famous for turning ambitious ideas into reality, but one of its most spectacular projects has faced a persistent question is the $12 billion Palm Jumeirah slowly sinking into the sea.
Palm Jumeirah, the enormous palm shaped artificial island built off Dubai’s coastline, was created using millions of cubic metres of sand dredged from the seabed and strategically placed to form the island, NASA has documented how GPS guided dredging and sand spraying technology were used during the construction of Dubai’s artificial islands.
Claims of subsidence
Concerns about Palm Jumeirah emerged more than a decade ago after satellite, based measurements suggested that parts of the reclaimed island were moving downward.
A 2009 report cited measurements indicating an average movement of around 5 millimetres per year in some locations, Survey specialists involved in the research stood by their measurements, while Nakheel, the developer behind Palm Jumeirah, disputed the suggestion that the island was sinking dangerously.
Nakheel said the island had settled slightly, which it described as normal for artificially created land, but rejected claims that Palm Jumeirah was sinking into the sea.
Why would an artificial island move?
Palm Jumeirah is not a natural geological formation, Much of the island was created by placing and compacting enormous quantities of marine sand.
Over time, reclaimed land can experience settlement, as the material becomes more compact under its own weight and the weight of buildings and infrastructure.
This does not automatically mean that the island is about to disappear beneath the Gulf.
However, long term settlement is an important engineering consideration for any major reclaimed land development, particularly when combined with coastal erosion, storms and future sea level rise.
A wider problem for Dubai
Palm Jumeirah is not Dubai’s only artificia, island experiment.
The emirate also developed, The World an archipelago of hundreds of artificial islands designed to resemble a map of the world\. NASA describes how the islands were formed by dredging material from the seabed and using GPS guided technology to place it into carefully designed shapes.
The World project also faced controversy over erosion and the condition of some of the islands, In 2011, evidence presented to the Dubai World Tribunal included claims that some islands were eroding and that navigation channels were becoming clogged with silt, Nakheel disputed claims that the development was suffering from serious stability problems.
Not disappearing tomorrow
Despite the dramatic headlines surrounding the subject, there is no evidence that Palm Jumeirah is currently disappearing beneath the sea.
The more accurate story is that the island, like other reclaimed coastal developments, has to deal with natural processes such as settlement, erosion and changing sea conditions.
Palm Jumeirah remains one of Dubai’s most recognisable landmarks and a major residential and tourism destination.
But its story demonstrates the enormous engineering challenge of building a city on land that did not naturally exist.
The future
Dubai’s artificial islands were designed to demonstrate what modern engineering could achieve, The challenge now is ensuring that these enormous coastal developments remain stable and resilient for generations.
The question is therefore not simply whether Palm Jumeirah is “sinking.
The bigger question is how much maintenance and engineering will be required to protect an artificial coastline from the forces of the sea over the long term.
222 News| World & Environment
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Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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