A NASA analysis of data collected last fall has revealed that a peninsula in L.A. County is slipping towards the Pacific Ocean at an alarming rate. The Palos Verdes Peninsula, located south of Los Angeles, has been experiencing landslides for decades, but its movement speed increased to 4 inches (10 centimeters) per week from mid-September 2024 through mid-October 2024.
The data shows that the landslide’s footprint has expanded beyond the original geological boundaries, putting hundreds of buildings at risk. The area was previously known to be geologically active, but recent record-breaking rains in 2023 and early 2024 have accelerated the process.
According to Alexander Handwerger, a landslide scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, “The speed is more than enough to put human life and infrastructure at risk.” The increased movement is attributed to extreme precipitation patterns, which can be both beneficial and detrimental. In this case, the rains that led to the landslides also contributed to devastating wildfires.
NASA is launching two new initiatives to study landslide climate change: Landslide Climate Change Experiment (LACCE) and the NISAR satellite, set to launch in 2025. These experiments will help scientists understand how climate change affects the planet’s surface and prepare humanity for extreme weather events.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/historic-landslide-complex-near-l-a-is-moving-faster-and-growing-2000558284