NASA and ISRO's NISAR satellite has detected over 2 centimeters of monthly subsidence in some Mexico City zones from October 2025 to January 2026. The phenomenon stems mainly from overexploitation of aquifers in the former Lake Texcoco bed. InSAR technology enables precise monitoring from space.
NASA published images this Wednesday from the NISAR satellite showing progressive ground subsidence in Mexico City. Launched on July 30, 2025, from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre, NISAR uses synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) to measure millimeter-scale terrain elevation changes, regardless of weather or lighting.
Preliminary measurements from the dry season between October 2025 and January 2026 show dark blue zones on the satellite map subsiding over 2 cm per month. Areas like the artificial Nabor Carrillo lake near Benito Juárez International Airport and the former Lake Chalco exhibit the most deformation due to groundwater pumping compacting lacustrine sediments.
The Angel of Independence on Paseo de la Reforma serves as a visible marker: built in 1910, this 30-meter monument has needed 14 additional steps due to sinking ground. UNAM experts link the issue to aquifer overexploitation and the lacustrine nature of the Valley of Mexico, worsening floods and infrastructure damage like the Metro.
"NISAR can track real-time changes on Earth's surface from orbit," NASA details. The mission aims to enhance urban planning in vulnerable cities.
