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Mexico City sinking nearly 25cm a year, visible from space: NASA
🇸🇰 Slovakia /Environment & Climate

Mexico City sinking nearly 25cm a year, visible from space: NASA

From SME · (9m ago) Slovak Critical tone

Translated from Slovak, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Mexico City is sinking at a rate of nearly 25 centimeters per year, making it one of the fastest-sinking capitals globally, according to new NASA satellite data.
  • The sinking is primarily caused by extensive groundwater extraction and urban development, as the city was built on a former lakebed.
  • This subsidence is damaging critical infrastructure like the metro and sewage systems and has caused historical buildings to visibly tilt.

New satellite imagery from NASA reveals a startling reality for Mexico City: the metropolis is sinking at an alarming rate of nearly 25 centimeters annually. This phenomenon, driven by over a century of excessive groundwater extraction and relentless urban expansion on the unstable ground of a former lake, places the capital among the world's fastest-sinking cities. The consequences are dire, with critical infrastructure such as the metro and sewage systems suffering damage, and historic landmarks like the Metropolitan Cathedral visibly tilting. For residents of Mexico City, this is not a new crisis but an escalating one. The ground beneath their feet has been unstable for generations, a constant reminder of the city's unique geological challenges. While international news may focus on the dramatic visuals from space, for locals, the sinking is a daily reality impacting their homes, their commutes, and their heritage. The ongoing water crisis, exacerbated by the diminishing water table, adds another layer of urgency to finding sustainable solutions for this megacity.

It is damaging part of Mexico City's key infrastructure, such as the metro, the sewage system, the water supply, the drinking water system, residential buildings and streets

— Enriqué CabralA geophysics researcher from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) explains the impact of the city's sinking on its infrastructure.
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Originally published by SME in Slovak. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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