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2d ago

NISAR Maps Show Mexico City Sinking Nearly 10 Inches a Year

Fresh radar maps reveal rapid, localized ground loss linked to decades of heavy groundwater pumping on the former lakebed.

New data from NISAR shows parts of Mexico City subsided by roughly 0.8 inches per month (shown in blue) between October 25, 2025, and January 17, 2026. Uneven and seemingly small elevation changes have added up over the decades, fracturing roads, buildings and water lines.
The Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City on April 1, 2026.
Mexico City on February 28, 2024. The metropolis of nearly 22 million people is sinking at an alarming rate due to over-extraction of the aquifer which lies beneath it.
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Overview

  • New satellite analyses using the joint NASA–ISRO NISAR mission map parts of Mexico City subsiding at about 0.8 inches per month, or more than 9.5 inches a year.
  • The data, collected between October 2025 and January 2026, highlight high‑risk zones that include Benito Juárez International Airport and central corridors with dense development.
  • NISAR uses dual‑band radar to detect ground movement with centimeter‑scale precision on roughly 12‑day revisits, enabling frequent, citywide tracking of subsidence.
  • Scientists attribute the sinking mainly to long‑term over‑extraction of groundwater from aquifers that supply much of the city’s drinking water, with soft clay soils compacting in ways that do not rebound.
  • Researchers and local experts report widespread damage to daily life and infrastructure—including metro lines, roads, drainage, and water pipes—while century‑long records show cumulative drops exceeding about 39 feet in some areas.