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NASA Satellite Reveals Mexico City's Rapid Sinking, Impacting Infrastructure

NASA Satellite Reveals Mexico City's Rapid Sinking, Impacting Infrastructure

NASA has released new satellite imagery from the U.S.-India satellite NISAR, showing that Mexico City is sinking by more than half an inch every month. This phenomenon, which has been occurring for over a century, is attributed to the draining of an ancient lakebed aquifer beneath the city. The subsidence has led to significant infrastructure damage, including fractured roads, buildings, and water lines. Researcher Dora Carreón-Freyre, who has studied the city's sinking for over 25 years, highlights the severe impact in areas like Iztapalapa. The NISAR satellite, launched in 2025, is the first to provide near real-time data on ground movement, offering valuable insights into the city's subsidence patterns.
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US-Indian Space Mission Reveals Significant Subsidence in Mexico City

US-Indian Space Mission Reveals Significant Subsidence in Mexico City

The US-Indian NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite has mapped significant subsidence in Mexico City, revealing ground movement beneath one of the world's fastest-sinking capitals. The satellite's powerful radar system, capable of penetrating clouds and vegetation, has detected subsidence of up to a few centimeters per month between October 2025 and January 2026. This subsidence is primarily due to extensive groundwater pumping and urban development, which have compacted the ancient lakebed beneath the city. The issue, first documented in 1925, has led to infrastructure damage, including to the city's Metro system. NISAR's L-band radar is designed to track subtle land motions, providing real-time data on changes across Earth's surface.
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NASA Satellite Reveals Mexico City's Rapid Sinking, Impacting Infrastructure and Residents

NASA Satellite Reveals Mexico City's Rapid Sinking, Impacting Infrastructure and Residents

NASA has released satellite imagery from the U.S.-India satellite NISAR, showing that Mexico City is sinking at a rate of more than half an inch per month. This subsidence, which has been occurring for over a century, is primarily due to extensive groundwater pumping and urban development on the city's ancient lakebed foundation. The sinking has led to significant infrastructure damage, including fractured roads, buildings, and water lines. The new satellite data allows for near real-time tracking of ground movement, providing researchers with unprecedented insights into the city's subsidence patterns. Dora Carreón-Freyre, a researcher with over 25 years of experience studying the phenomenon, highlights the severe impact on areas like Iztapalapa, where many structures are already damaged.
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NASA-ISRO Mission Reveals Rapid Sinking of Mexico City, Impacting Infrastructure

NASA-ISRO Mission Reveals Rapid Sinking of Mexico City, Impacting Infrastructure

The NISAR satellite mission, a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, has revealed significant land subsidence in Mexico City due to extensive groundwater pumping and urban development. The city is sinking at a rate of more than half an inch per month, causing damage to infrastructure such as roads and the Metro rail system. The satellite, launched in July 2025, has been tracking ground movement in the city, highlighting the compression of the ancient lakebed beneath Mexico City. Historical data shows that parts of the metropolitan area were sinking by about 14 inches per year during the 1990s and 2000s.
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NASA Mission Reveals Rapid Sinking of Mexico City

NASA Mission Reveals Rapid Sinking of Mexico City

NASA's NISAR mission, a collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation, has provided new insights into the rapid subsidence of Mexico City. The satellite data, collected between October 2025 and January 2026, shows parts of the city sinking by more than half an inch per month. This subsidence is attributed to extensive groundwater pumping and urban development compressing the ancient lakebed beneath the city. The findings highlight the ongoing challenges faced by Mexico City, where infrastructure such as roads and the Metro rail system are increasingly at risk due to the ground movement.
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NASA's NISAR Satellite Tracks Mexico City's Century-Long Sinking

NASA's NISAR Satellite Tracks Mexico City's Century-Long Sinking

NASA's NISAR satellite has provided new insights into the ongoing subsidence of Mexico City, which is sinking by more than half an inch each month. The satellite, launched in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation, uses advanced radar technology to measure ground movement with unprecedented precision. The data, collected between October 2025 and January 2026, highlights areas of significant subsidence, particularly around Benito Juarez International Airport. The city's sinking is attributed to the compaction of the lakebed it was built on, exacerbated by groundwater extraction and urban development.
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US-Indian Space Mission Maps Rapid Subsidence in Mexico City

US-Indian Space Mission Maps Rapid Subsidence in Mexico City

The US-Indian NISAR satellite mission has mapped significant subsidence in Mexico City, revealing areas sinking by over 2 centimeters per month. The subsidence is primarily due to extensive groundwater extraction and urban load, affecting infrastructure such as roads and water lines. The satellite's radar system provides real-time data on land movement, offering insights into the challenges faced by one of the fastest subsiding cities globally. The mission aims to track changes across Earth's surface, including land subsidence, glacier movements, and crop growth.
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NASA Reveals Mexico City's Rapid Sinking Due to Groundwater Depletion

NASA Reveals Mexico City's Rapid Sinking Due to Groundwater Depletion

Mexico City is experiencing significant subsidence, sinking nearly 25 centimeters annually, as revealed by new satellite imagery from NASA. This phenomenon is attributed to the relentless pumping of groundwater and extensive urban development, which have severely depleted the underlying aquifer. The city, originally built on an ancient lake bed, is home to approximately 22 million people. The subsidence has caused noticeable tilts in historic monuments and older structures, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral. The shrinking aquifer also exacerbates a persistent water crisis, which experts predict will worsen. Enrique Cabral, a geophysics researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, highlights the damage to critical infrastructure, including the subway, drainage, and potable water systems.
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Africa’s cellphone towers turn to solar as diesel costs surge

Africa’s cellphone towers turn to solar as diesel costs surge

Cellphone tower operators across Africa are increasingly turning to solar power to reduce reliance on costly diesel fuel and expand connectivity in off-grid areas
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Mexico City is sinking so quickly, it can be seen from space

Mexico City is sinking so quickly, it can be seen from space

Mexico City is sinking nearly 10 inches every year, making it one of the world’s fastest-sinking metropolitan areas
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NASA Satellite Imagery Reveals Rapid Sinking of Mexico City

NASA Satellite Imagery Reveals Rapid Sinking of Mexico City

Mexico City is experiencing significant subsidence, sinking nearly 10 inches annually, as revealed by new satellite imagery from NASA. The city, built on an ancient lake bed, has been sinking for over a century due to extensive groundwater pumping and urban development. This subsidence has led to visibly tilted monuments and buildings, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral. The contracting aquifer has exacerbated a chronic water crisis, affecting critical infrastructure like the subway and water systems. NASA's NISAR satellite, a joint initiative with the Indian Space Research Organization, has provided detailed measurements of the subsidence, highlighting the severity of the issue.
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US-Indian Spacecraft Maps Mexico City Subsidence, Highlights Groundwater Impact

US-Indian Spacecraft Maps Mexico City Subsidence, Highlights Groundwater Impact

A recent map produced by a scientist using data from the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission has revealed significant land subsidence in Mexico City. The data, captured between October 2025 and January 2026, shows areas subsiding by more than half an inch per month, primarily due to groundwater pumping. This subsidence is a long-standing issue in the region, exacerbated by the compaction of the dry, ancient lakebed on which the city is built. The NISAR mission, a collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation, is in its first year of operation and aims to provide detailed observations of Earth's surface changes.