Mexico City may be vanishing under the feet of 22 million people, sinking at a pace scientists can barely keep up with. For decades, the city drained the ancient lake it was built on, pulling water from deep underground to sustain its massive population.
In 2023, researchers confirmed that Taam Ja’, a blue hole in Chetumal Bay off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, is the deepest known blue hole on Earth. Measurements have exceeded 1,372 feet without reaching the bottom. The hole is unusually difficult to spot from the surface, which helped it remain unnoticed for years.Blue holes are underwater sinkholes that formed when ancient caves collapsed and were…
Mexico City is sinking fast—the ground beneath 22 million people is collapsing at a shocking rate, and the crisis is accelerating. Built on an ancient lakebed, the city’s soft clay compresses as underground aquifers are drained to supply water to millions.
In late 2023, researchers confirmed that Taam Ja’, a blue hole in Chetumal Bay off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, is the deepest known blue hole on Earth. Measurements taken in December 2023 recorded depths exceeding 1,372 feet without reaching the bottom.Blue holes are underwater sinkholes that formed when ancient caves collapsed and were later flooded as sea levels rose. Unlike the famous Great Blu…