Scientists have uncovered dramatic shifts in California’s coastal landscape, revealing areas that are either sinking or rising.
Using satellite and radar technology, researchers mapped land motion from 2015 to 2023, showing how factors like groundwater withdrawal and natural erosion influence the state’s shoreline. These vertical shifts impact how communities will experience sea level rise, making it crucial to understand which areas are at greater risk of flooding and saltwater intrusion in the coming decades.
Tracking California’s Shifting Coastline
To better understand the impact of sea level rise, researchers have released new estimates of California’s vertical land motion — also known as uplift and subsidence — between 2015 and 2023. Their findings highlight areas where land beneath major coastal cities, including parts of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, is sinking. Some regions are also experiencing uplift.
This land movement was identified through a new analysis conducted by scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Their findings are visualized in the map above, where blue areas indicate subsidence — darker shades representing faster sinking — while dark red marks the fastest-rising locations.
High-Tech Tools Reveal the Movement
Data for the map are based on a remote sensing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), which combines two or more 3D observations of the same region to reveal surface motion. The researchers used the radars on the ESA (European Space Agency) Sentinel-1 satellites, as well as motion velocity data from ground-based receiving stations in the Global Navigation Satellite System.
Causes for the motion include human-driven activities as well as natural dynamics. For example, areas of sinking land in coastal California cities and in parts of the Central Valley are caused by factors like soil compaction, erosion, and groundwater withdrawal. The scientists also tracked areas of uplift, including in Long Beach, a site of oil and gas production.
The Stakes for Coastal Communities
In coastal areas, understanding local elevation changes can help communities adapt to rising sea levels. The researchers pinpointed hot spots—including cities, beaches, and aquifers—with greater exposure to rising seas in coming decades. Sea level rise can exacerbate issues like nuisance flooding and saltwater intrusion.
Explore Further: Sinking Cities, Surging Seas – A NASA Discovery That Redefines Coastal Risk
Reference: “Variable vertical land motion and its impacts on sea level rise projections” by Marin Govorcin, David P. S. Bekaert, Benjamin D. Hamlington, Simran S. Sangha and William Sweet, 29 January 2025, Science Advances.
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads8163
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5 Comments
Comment to the Mississippi River?
Looks like it’s all dried up ??
So why don’t you just refill it to THE Natural State of Water Level HERE the HOW? BT Richard Velez
Need2 connect a giant pipe from The Niagara Falls in New York State AND run it INTO the Mississippi River and Totally fill it. .. with WATER.
THEN IF YOU WANT.
Can_FILL (( ALL USA) DRY/DAMS
THAT WILL MAKE USA GREEN again.
Ahh the Mexican communist left that gets is news from stupid communist left channels.
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Ask for a friend who own a truck.
Fill it up with what water? If we stopped sending water not to every city, but also to every household and every farm, and even what flows to the Pacific Ocean (say goodbye to fishing the river and streams), and pump it into the ground it will take decades to put all the water back with the amount of rain and snow fall California gets every year. We could instead use the water from the Pacific ocean, but then every aquifer would be containing salt water which would be undrinkable and unusable for farming.
So the $128+ billion spent on CA highspeed rail so far will be under water, great planning!
This article highlights a growing but often overlooked issue—land subsidence in California. The data from NASA’s mapping efforts is invaluable in understanding how excessive groundwater pumping and other factors contribute to sinking cities. It would be interesting to explore potential long-term solutions, such as sustainable water management strategies or infrastructure adaptations to mitigate the effects. Thanks for shedding light on this important environmental challenge!