Rapid Land Subsidence Threatens Major Cities, Study Finds Extreme Sinking in Mexico City
Researchers using satellite data report that parts of Mexico City are sinking up to 8.5 inches annually, with other cities worldwide also showing notable subsidence.
An international team led by Shengli Tao and Xie Hu of Peking University analyzed satellite radar data from 2014 to 2023 across 465 cities in 107 nations, publishing the results in Nature Cities. The research revealed that certain districts of Mexico City are descending as much as 217 mm (8.5 inches) each year, while the citywide average is about 8 mm annually. Indonesia’s Medan recorded the highest median citywide subsidence at roughly 33 mm per year, followed by Bandung and Iran’s Isfahan.
The study attributes accelerated sinking primarily to groundwater pumping, though some Asian regions have seen reductions after implementing water-management policies. Major metropolises such as Boston, New York City, London, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Montevideo and Naples exhibited only marginal ground movement, close to measurement limits. The authors stress that continued satellite monitoring is essential for guiding mitigation and adaptation strategies to protect infrastructure and reduce flood risk.
Why it matters
Accelerating ground sinking can damage infrastructure and increase flood hazards in densely populated urban areas.
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