The Brief
- Experts with NASA and the USGS say there is a growing problem with landslides in California.
- Climate change appears to be a factor in the acceleration of landslide occurrences in the Golden State.
- In the North Bay Area, Marin City is dealing with two major threats: sea level rise and landslides.
MARIN CITY, Calif. – NASA and US Geological Survey researchers have documented a “growing landslide crisis” in California. Climate extremes have accelerated the occurrence of slides even though there were landslides even before humans came here, largely due to steep terrain and more recent geological formation.
A national model
Marin City may actually be a national model for dealing with climate change because it has two major threats: sea level rise and landslides. During the pandemic, a series of atmospheric rivers caused a 70-year-old wooden retaining wall to fail in two spots: a total of some 40 feet.
Fortunately, it did not slide into the 48-unit Oak Knolls Cooperative.
“Our soil is not alluvial mud. Our soil is rocky clay and that’s been a bit of our advantage. These trees, they help hold; the roots are holding the soil,” said Curtis Finley, Oak Knolls Co-op VP. …