verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The site where Mexico City was built was once islands in a much larger lake. In the 16th century Spanish colonizers began to drain the lake, causing the residents to rely on underground aquifers for water. Because of this continuous exploitation, the city began to sink, as the aquifer is being depleted more than it’s being replenished, and the clay sheets on which Mexico City is built are compressing and cracking.
