"Continuous Groundwater Pumping Causes Mexico City to Sink 24cm Annually... 'Giant Sinking Ship' for 22 Million Residents"

by Lim Juhyeong

Published 06 May.2026 18:33(KST)

Updated 06 May.2026 21:55(KST)

Mexico City Sinking by Over 24 cm Each Year

Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, is reportedly sinking into the sea. The phenomenon is visible even in satellite imagery.

On May 5 (local time), CNN reported, citing the latest satellite observations by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), that during the dry season from October last year to January this year, some parts of Mexico City subsided by up to approximately 2.2 centimeters per month. This means the ground sinks by as much as 24 centimeters annually.

Radar image capturing Mexico City. The blue marked areas indicate subsidence regions. NASA

This observation was analyzed using data captured by 'NISAR,' a satellite jointly developed by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). NISAR is equipped with a high-performance radar capable of detecting subtle changes in the Earth's surface, such as ground movement, glacier shifts, and volcanic activity. The satellite has been monitoring changes in Mexico City's ground level from October last year to January this year.

Mexico City is a metropolis built on a lakebed. With a population of about 22 million, it ranks among the largest cities in the world. The city relies on groundwater for 60% of its drinking water supply.

The reason for Mexico City's subsidence is, in fact, groundwater. Continuous extraction of groundwater over a long period has depleted the space beneath the ground, causing the city to gradually sink. To make matters worse, the rapid and ongoing expansion of large-scale infrastructure on the surface has accelerated the rate of subsidence even further.

Records show that ground subsidence in Mexico City has been documented since the 1920s. This is evidenced by the 'Angel of Independence' monument, built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mexico’s independence. Although the monument stands 34 meters tall, 14 additional steps had to be installed as the ground sank beneath it.

David Bekaert, a member of the NISAR project, told CNN, "Mexico City is a representative example of a city experiencing ground subsidence," adding, "This study is just the beginning, and new cases of ground changes will continue to be discovered around the world."