LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – New research from NASA shows that California’s Palos Verdes Peninsula, an area in Los Angeles County which is home to cities like Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates and San Pedro, is shifting toward the ocean.
Data from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory airborne radar shows that the residential area shifted toward the Pacific Ocean as much as 4 inches — per week — during a four-week period last fall.
The above image from NASA shows just how fast parts of the landslide complex were moving last September and October, with the darkest reds indicating the highest speeds. The white arrows represent the direction of horizontal motion.
“In effect, we’re seeing that the footprint of land experiencing significant impacts has expanded, and the speed is more than enough to put human life and infrastructure at risk,” Alexander Handwerger, the JPL landslide scientist who performed the analysis, said in a statement.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula has experienced accelerated land movement thanks to Hurricane Hilary’s record-breaking rainfall totals in 2023.
Due to the movement, the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes closed indefinitely last year. Church leadership also announced plans to disassemble the iconic California landmark.
Multiple roadways, homes and infrastructure were also damaged due to the continuous land movement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the area due to the ongoing land movement last year.