NASA Radar Imagery Reveals Details About Los Angeles-Area Landslides
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California January 31, 2025
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is using radar imagery to study landslides in the Los Angeles area in order to understand how and why they occur and how they might affect people and infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and buildings. The new study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, used data from NASA’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) instrument to map landslides in the San Gabriel Mountains, which are located northeast of Los Angeles. The study found that most of the landslides were small, but a few were large enough to cause damage to infrastructure.
UAVSAR is a radar instrument that can be mounted on an aircraft or a drone and that can be used to map the surface of the Earth in great detail. UAVSAR data can be used to measure the movement of the ground, which can be used to identify landslides. The new study used UAVSAR data to map landslides in the San Gabriel Mountains following a series of heavy rains in the winter of 2022-2023. The study found that the landslides were mostly located in areas with steep slopes and that they were triggered by the heavy rains.
The new study is the first to use UAVSAR data to map landslides in the Los Angeles area. The results of the study can be used to help identify areas that are at risk for landslides and to develop strategies to mitigate the risk.
“Landslides are a major hazard in the Los Angeles area,” said Dr. Benjamin Brooks, a research scientist at JPL and the lead author of the new study. “Our study provides new insights into how and why landslides occur in this region and can help us to better prepare for future events.”
Background on Landslides
Landslides are a type of mass wasting, which is the movement of soil, rock, and other materials down a slope. Landslides can be triggered by a variety of factors, including heavy rains, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Landslides can range in size from small, localized events to large, destructive events that can cause significant damage to infrastructure and loss of life.
The Los Angeles area is located in a region that is susceptible to landslides. The region is characterized by steep slopes and heavy rainfall. In recent years, the Los Angeles area has experienced a number of large landslides, including the 1994 Northridge earthquake landslide and the 2018 Woolsey Fire landslide.
UAVSAR Instrument
UAVSAR is a radar instrument that can be mounted on an aircraft or a drone and that can be used to map the surface of the Earth in great detail. UAVSAR data can be used to measure the movement of the ground, which can be used to identify landslides. UAVSAR data has been used to study landslides in a variety of locations around the world, including the San Francisco Bay area, the Pacific Northwest, and the Himalayas.
New Study
The new study used UAVSAR data to map landslides in the San Gabriel Mountains following a series of heavy rains in the winter of 2022-2023. The study found that the landslides were mostly located in areas with steep slopes and that they were triggered by the heavy rains. The study also found that most of the landslides were small, but a few were large enough to cause damage to infrastructure.
The results of the study can be used to help identify areas that are at risk for landslides and to develop strategies to mitigate the risk.
Conclusion
The new study is a valuable contribution to our understanding of landslides in the Los Angeles area. The results of the study can be used to help identify areas that are at risk for landslides and to develop strategies to mitigate the risk.
NASA Radar Imagery Reveals Details About Los Angeles-Area Landslides
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