• How large-scale water cycles influence quake activity in California

    A new study shows how seasonal changes in large-scale water cycles in California influence small-scale quake activity. It confirms that the annual hydrological loading cycle modulates microseismicity in California. The results of the study reveal how snow, rain,…

  • Massive California Highway 1 landslide seen from space

    On the night of May 20, 2017, more than a million tons of rocks and dirt spilled over California's iconic Highway 1. The slide was so large it can be seen from space. The slide covered roughly 530 m (0.3 miles) of the scenic route in 10 to 12 m (35 to 40 feet)…

  • From drought to deluge, preparing for weeks of Katrina-style flooding

    California has spectacularly emerged from one of its driest periods on record and ended its five-year drought by enduring one of its wettest periods on record. Its reservoirs, lakes, and mountainsides are now brimming with water and snow, though scientists caution…

  • Unusually strong storm takes aim at California, Oregon and Washington

    An unusually strong spring storm will move into California and spread across the rest of the western states through the weekend as the region enters a period of unsettled weather with a couple of strong cyclones. Heavy rains are expected and localized flash flooding…