New satellite imagery reveals the full scale of Mexico City’s land collapse

Last updated: May 01, 2026 | 18:36

Ancient lake bed, overpumping and urban growth are driving dramatic subsidence.

Mexico City: Mexico City is sinking by 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.

One of the world's most sprawling and populated urban areas, at 3,000 square miles (about 7,800 square kilometers) and some 22 million people, the Mexican capital and surrounding cities were built atop an ancient lake bed.…