NISAR Satellite Reveals Mexico City's Rapid Subsidence
The NISAR satellite, a joint mission by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has revealed that Mexico City is sinking at a rate of up to 14 inches per year. This subsidence is due to the city being built on an aquifer, with groundwater pumping and urban sprawl compressing the sedimentary layers. NISAR's dual-frequency band radar, launched in July 2025, tracks surface changes on Earth with high precision. The satellite's L-band radar, sensitive to changes in bedrock and ice, was used to study Mexico City's subsidence, providing detailed insights into the city's geological changes.