![](https://i.imgur.com/CLvY2jA.png")
16-01-2023, 08:02 AM
By JULIE WATSON and DOUG GLASS
today
WHY IS CALIFORNIA PRONE TO MUDSLIDES?
California has relatively young mountains from a geology standpoint, meaning much of its steep terrain is still in motion and covered in loose rocks and soil that can be sloughed off easily, especially when the ground is wet
......
Almost all of the state has received rainfall totals of 400% to 600% above average since Christmas, with some areas receiving as much as 30 inches of precipitation, causing massive flooding.
Since New Year’s Eve, the California Department of Conservation’s landslide mapping team has documented more than 300 landslides.
The state’s prolonged drought has made matters worse.
Dan Shugar, an associate professor of geoscience at the University of Calgary, said drought can have a counterintuitive effect when combined with the incredible rainfall California has seen in recent days.
“You’d think if the ground is dry it should be able to absorb a lot of water, but when ground becomes too dry, the permeability of the ground actually decreases,” he said.
......
Added to that, wildfires have left some hillsides with little to no vegetation to hold the soil in place.
......
Lancaster warned that the threat of landslides will linger long after the rains have subsided as the water seeps 50 to 100 feet into the soil, dislodging things.
“They can occur weeks later, if not months,” he said.
For more information and knowledge, please go to: https://apnews.com/article/science-weath...7b9560f7e6
today
WHY IS CALIFORNIA PRONE TO MUDSLIDES?
California has relatively young mountains from a geology standpoint, meaning much of its steep terrain is still in motion and covered in loose rocks and soil that can be sloughed off easily, especially when the ground is wet
......
Almost all of the state has received rainfall totals of 400% to 600% above average since Christmas, with some areas receiving as much as 30 inches of precipitation, causing massive flooding.
Since New Year’s Eve, the California Department of Conservation’s landslide mapping team has documented more than 300 landslides.
The state’s prolonged drought has made matters worse.
Dan Shugar, an associate professor of geoscience at the University of Calgary, said drought can have a counterintuitive effect when combined with the incredible rainfall California has seen in recent days.
“You’d think if the ground is dry it should be able to absorb a lot of water, but when ground becomes too dry, the permeability of the ground actually decreases,” he said.
......
Added to that, wildfires have left some hillsides with little to no vegetation to hold the soil in place.
......
Lancaster warned that the threat of landslides will linger long after the rains have subsided as the water seeps 50 to 100 feet into the soil, dislodging things.
“They can occur weeks later, if not months,” he said.
For more information and knowledge, please go to: https://apnews.com/article/science-weath...7b9560f7e6
