NASA-ISRO Satellite Maps Rapid Land Sinking in Mexico City
Preliminary NISAR data show sinking linked to groundwater pumping and compaction, with some areas dropping more than 2 centimeters a month, scientists said.
- Data from the NISAR mission captured between Oct. 25, 2025, and Jan. 17, 2026, has produced a new map detailing land subsidence in Mexico City.
- Home to 20 million people, Mexico City is built atop an aquifer where extensive groundwater pumping and urban development have compacted the ancient lakebed, causing parts to sink.
- The Angel, which commemorates 100 years of Independence, has had 14 steps added to its base as the land sinks, serving as a visible indicator documented by NISAR's L-band radar.
- David Bekaert, a project manager at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research, said "we're going to see an influx of new discoveries from all over the world" given NISAR's unique sensing capabilities.
- By monitoring Earth's land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days, the NISAR mission provides unprecedented support for disaster response and global understanding of surface changes across the planet.
93 Articles
93 Articles
Mexico City has been sinking for over a century. A new NASA satellite is now watching it happen in real time
New data from NISAR shows where Mexico City and its environs subsided by up to a few centimeters per month (shown in blue) between Oct. 25, 2025, and Jan. 17, 2026. Uneven and seemingly small elevation changes have added up over the decades, fracturing roads, buildings, and water lines. (David Bekaert/JPL-Caltech//NASA) (MEXICO CITY) — More than 20 million people in Mexico City are living on ground that’s sinking above an ancient reservoir. The …
That Mexico City is sinking is not something new: in 1925 an engineer warned of the problem for the first time; and between the 1990s and the 2000s falls of up to 35 centimetres per year were documented. The problem is that the great city, in which 20 million people live, continues to descend. Between October and January there have been collapses of more than two centimetres per month at some points, as revealed by the first reports of the NISAR…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
