Mexico City sinks nearly 10 inches a year, NASA imagery shows
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · May 4
Mexico City sinks nearly 10 inches a year, NASA imagery shows
7 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · May 4
New NISAR satellite measurements from October 2025 to January 2026 found subsidence averaging 0.78 inches a month in parts of the capital, including the main airport and Angel of Independence.
Researchers say groundwater pumping and urban development have shrunk the aquifer beneath the ancient lake bed, damaging the subway, drainage, water systems, housing and streets and worsening a chronic water crisis.
The 22 million-strong metropolis has dropped more than 39 feet in under a century, tilting landmarks such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, while scientists hope the data will guide mitigation and future hazard alerts.
As Mexico City sinks 10 inches a year, what is the long-term survival plan for its 22 million residents?
A $1.5 billion satellite maps the sinking in real time, but can technology reverse a problem centuries in the making?