New satellite imagery released by NASA this week indicates that Mexico City is sinking by nearly 25 centimeters annually, positioning it among the fastest-subsiding massive urban areas globally.
Mexico’s capital and its surrounding metropolitan area, one of the world’s largest and most densely populated urban zones, covering roughly 7,800 square kilometers and housing approximately 22 million inhabitants, were constructed atop the basin of an ancient lake.
Numerous thoroughfares in the city center were once waterways, a historical feature that persists in outlying rural districts.
Extensive extraction of groundwater, coupled with urban development, has drastically depleted the aquifer, causing Mexico City to settle for over a century, resulting in noticeable leanings for many historical structures and landmarks, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, whose construction commenced in 1573.
The reduction in the volume of the water-bearing layer has also aggravated the persistent water shortage, a situation anticipated only to deteriorate further.
“This is causing damage to parts of Mexico City’s vital infrastructure, including the subway system, drainage network, water supply, potable water systems, residential buildings, and streets,” stated Enrique Cabral of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. “It is a considerable issue.”
Mexico City is descending so rapidly that the ground subsidence is discernible from orbit.
A recent NASA report shows that certain locales are experiencing an average descent rate of 2 centimeters per month, affecting areas such as the main airport and the vicinity of the iconic monument known as the Angel of Independence.
Cumulatively, this translates to a yearly rate of ground settlement equaling 24 centimeters. Cabral reports that in under a century, the total drop has exceeded 12 meters.
“We have one of the highest rates of land subsidence anywhere in the world,” he remarked.
NASA’s assessments are derived from measurements taken between October 2025 and January 2026 by the sophisticated NISAR satellite, which is engineered to track real-time shifts in the Earth’s surface. This satellite is a collaborative endeavor between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation.
NISAR scientist Paul Rosen commented that by capturing intricate perspectives of the Earth from space, the project also “tells us something about what is actually happening beneath the surface.”
“It essentially documents all these changes within the city,” Rosen said. “You can grasp the full magnitude of the problem.”
The team hopes to eventually achieve the capability to examine specific locations in greater detail, potentially measuring individual buildings separately in the future.
More broadly, researchers aim to deploy this technology internationally to monitor phenomena such as natural disasters, shifts along fault lines, the impact of climate change in regions like Antarctica, and more.
Rosen mentioned that this tool could be utilized to bolster warning systems, enabling scientists, for instance, to advise governments on necessary evacuations preceding volcanic eruptions.
For Mexico City, this technology represents a substantial advancement in understanding the subsidence crisis and mitigating its most severe impacts, according to Cabral.
For decades, the government largely overlooked the problem, with efforts typically limited to reinforcing the foundations beneath landmarks like the cathedral.
However, following recent escalations in the water crisis, authorities have begun allocating funds for further investigation, Cabral noted.
The NISAR satellite imagery and associated data will be crucial for scientists and officials in formulating strategies to address this situation.
“To mitigate the situation in the long run,” Cabral concluded, “the initial step is simply grasping the reality of what is occurring.”
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