Parts Of Mexico City Are Sinking by More Than Two Centimeters Per Month, NASA Radar Shows

The iconic Angel of Independence monument was built at street level in 1910. More than a century later, it now requires climbing 14 steps due to Mexico City’s sinking ground. (Credit: Via Unsplash)

According to pre-Hispanic legend, the Aztecs, the Indigenous people who ruled central Mesoamerica until the Spanish arrived in 1521, were told by one of their gods to search for an omen — an eagle devouring a snake perched on a cactus — and to settle where they found it.

The sign is believed to have appeared at Lake Texcoco, where the Aztecs established their capital city, Tenochtitlán. Centuries later, the Spanish built Mexico City over the same lakebed.