One of the Planet’s Biggest Cities Is Sinking so Rapidly It’s Visible From Space
New satellite imagery shows subsidence reaching 0.78 inches a month in some areas, threatening the airport, subway, and older buildings, NASA said.
- New imagery from the NASA NISAR satellite reveals Mexico City is sinking by nearly 10 inches annually, making it one of the world's fastest-subsiding metropolises.
- Built atop an ancient lake bed, Mexico City sits above an aquifer providing around 60% of drinking water for its 22 million residents; relentless over-extraction has caused subsidence for over a century.
- Geophysics researcher Enrique Cabral at the National Autonomous University of Mexico noted subsidence damages critical infrastructure including the Benito Juarez International Airport and the 114-foot Angel of Independence monument, which required 14 steps added to its base.
- NISAR scientist Paul Rosen said the satellite captures details "telling us something about what's actually happening below the surface," providing documentation to help officials plan mitigation strategies.
- Researchers hope to apply this satellite technology globally to track natural disasters and climate change effects in regions like Antarctica, as Cabral emphasized, "the first step is to just understand.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Mexico City is sinking at such an alarming rate that it can be observed from space. Images of a powerful NASA radar system reveal subsidence rates above 1.3 centimeters per month, which means that the...
NASA Satellite Reveals Just How Fast Mexico City Is Sinking
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico City is sinking by nearly 10 inches (about 25 centimeters) a year, according to new satellite imagery released this week by NASA, making it one of the world's fastest-subsiding metropolises.
A Parched Mexico City Is Now Sinking Almost a Foot Per Year
Mexico City is the true metropolis of North America, an ancient hub of commerce and culture with a metro area population greater than that of Los Angeles, New York, Toronto or almost anything else in its hemisphere. It’s also perpetually on the verge of collapse, thanks to a multi-year water crisis that shows few signs of abating, and another phenomenon fueled by the same lack of water in an area that was originally rich with it: Subsidence. Or …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 86% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
