Mexico City is sinking so fast it's visible from space

Pedestrians walk past a slightly tilted historic building in downtown Mexico City. Photo: AP Photo / Rebecca Blackwell, File

Mexico City, along with its surrounding areas, is one of the largest megacities on the planet: it covers about 7800 square kilometers, and the population of the agglomeration reaches approximately 22 million people. The city was built on the site of an ancient lake. In the center, some streets were once canals, and in the rural areas on the outskirts, they have been preserved to this day.

The main cause of subsidence is intensive groundwater pumping combined with urbanization. This has led to a significant reduction in the aquifer, as a result of which the city has been sinking for over a century. In many places, this is evident from tilted historic buildings and monuments, including the Metropolitan Cathedral, construction of which began in 1573.

According to geophysicist Enrique Cabral from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, subsidence damages the city's key infrastructure — the metro, drainage and water supply systems, housing, and roads.

Павялічыць

Aerial photograph of the Xochimilco canals in Mexico City. Photo: AP Photo / Marco Ugarte

In some areas of the city, for example, near the main airport and the "Angel of Independence" monument, the ground is sinking by an average of two centimeters monthly. Overall, this amounts to about 24 centimeters per year. In less than a century, subsidence in certain parts of Mexico City has exceeded 12 meters.

According to experts, this is one of the highest rates in the world. Similar indicators are recorded in certain areas of Indonesian Jakarta.

A new stage in studying this problem began thanks to a joint mission by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization. The NISAR satellite, which operated in orbit in late 2025 — early 2026, allowed scientists to obtain ultra-precise measurements of changes in the Earth's surface in real-time. Such observations make it possible to document changes within the city, assess the scale of the problem, and open up opportunities for developing effective mitigation measures.

Павялічыць

An aerial view of Constitution Square and the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City, which has visibly subsided. Photo: AP Photo / Marco Ugarte, File

While previously Mexican authorities limited themselves to reinforcing the foundations of individual monuments on a case-by-case basis, now, against the backdrop of worsening water problems, officials have begun allocating more funds for research.

Scientists hope that in the future, this technology will help meticulously monitor every individual building and will be useful worldwide — from observing cracks in the Earth's crust to monitoring the melting of Antarctic glaciers.

For Mexico City, however, a precise understanding of the subsidence mechanisms, obtained from orbit, must become the first step toward saving the city's critical infrastructure.

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