Mexico City is sinking by nearly 10 inches, about 25 centimeters, a year, according to new satellite imagery released this week by NASA, threatening critical infrastructure and the daily lives of 22 million people living in one of the world's fastest-subsiding metropolises.
The dramatic subsidence is damaging essential public services and infrastructure that residents depend on, from subway systems to water delivery networks. Enrique Cabral, a researcher studying geophysics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said, "It damages part of the critical infrastructure of Mexico City, such as the subway, the drainage system, the water, the potable water system, housing and streets," and added, "It's a very big problem."
Decades of Neglect Worsen Crisis
The Mexican capital and surrounding cities cover 3,000 square miles, about 7,800 square kilometers. The city and surrounding area were built atop an ancient lake bed, and many downtown streets were once canals, a tradition that continues in the rural fringes. Extensive groundwater pumping and urban development have dramatically shrunk the aquifer, and Mexico City has been sinking for more than a century, leaving many monuments and older buildings, including the Metropolitan Cathedral, where construction began in 1573, visibly tilted to the side.
Cabral said the government has for decades largely ignored the problem other than stabilizing foundations under monuments like the cathedral, but following recent flare-ups of the water crisis officials have begun to fund more research. The contracting aquifer has also contributed to a chronic water crisis that is only expected to worsen, compounding the challenges facing working families and vulnerable communities.
Alarming Rate of Decline
In some parts, the subsidence is happening at an average rate of 0.78 inches, 2 centimeters, a month, including at the main airport and the monument commonly known as the Angel of Independence. Overall, that means a yearly subsidence rate of about 9.5 inches, 24 centimeters, and over the course of less than a century the drop has been more than 39 feet, 12 meters, according to Cabral. He said, "We have one of the fastest velocities of land subsidence in the whole world."
The NASA estimates are based on measurements taken between October 2025 and January 2026 by the NISAR satellite, a joint initiative between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization. NISAR scientist Paul Rosen said the project is "telling us something about what's actually happening below the surface." He said, "It's basically documentation of all of these changes within a city," and added, "You can see the full magnitude of the problem."
Technology Offers Path Forward
Rosen said the team hopes to zoom in on specific areas and someday get measurements on a building-by-building basis. Researchers hope to apply the technology around the world to track natural disasters, changes in fault lines, the effects of climate change in regions like Antarctica and more. Rosen said it could be used to bolster alert systems and let scientists alert governments to the need for evacuations in cases of volcano eruptions, for example.
Cabral said the technology is a big advance in studying the subsidence issue and mitigating its worst effects. Imagery from the NISAR satellite and the data that comes with it will be key for scientists and officials as they plan how to address the problem. Cabral said, "To do long-term mitigation of the situation, the first step is to just understand."
Why This Matters:
The rapid sinking of Mexico City represents an infrastructure and public health crisis affecting 22 million people, disproportionately impacting working-class neighborhoods that lack resources to adapt. Damage to subway systems, water delivery networks, and drainage infrastructure undermines essential public services that residents depend on daily. The worsening water crisis linked to aquifer depletion threatens access to clean drinking water, a basic human right. Decades of government inaction allowed the problem to escalate, demonstrating the consequences when authorities fail to invest in long-term infrastructure planning and environmental protection. The new satellite technology offers hope for evidence-based policymaking, but only if officials commit resources to addressing the structural causes—unsustainable groundwater extraction and inadequate water management—rather than merely stabilizing individual monuments while millions face deteriorating living conditions.