United States (US) Space Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) highlighted how climate change continues to alter Earth's weather patterns, with findings showing that landslides in wetter and drier regions show similar sensitivity to precipitation extremes.

In the study conducted in California, published in a feature article titled "NASA Study Finds Climate Extremes Affect Landslides in Surprising Ways" on the NASA website, researchers focused on the dramatic impact of fluctuating rain patterns on the behavior of slow-moving landslides in the country.

It showed that, in contrast to predictions, landslides show similar susceptibility to precipitation extremes in both wet and dry areas. Climate change is driving more volatile precipitation patterns around the world – very dry stretches punctuated by storms that drop large amounts of rain or snow in a short amount of time.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum said that that global warming enhances evaporation and therefore causes extreme rainfall which triggers landslides and flooding.

The NASA study also underlined the need to understand how landslides respond to extreme weather events, as well as the critical role of water in causing them.

“Water triggers landslides, and knowing how landslides react to record droughts or extreme rainfall can help researchers better predict their future behavior, including whether any could collapse, or fail catastrophically,” the article read.

Furthermore, slow-moving landslides may not immediately endanger infrastructure or people, but over time, they can seriously harm buildings, roads, and other structures due to their impacts. Unexpected collapses can happen, presenting serious risks to the residents of the area.

Solidum explained that "one form of landslides are creeping landslides, where you can see trunks of trees bent."

"Other landslides are also shallow and they typically fail during the height of intense rain. Other landslides are deep, they typically move slower and can have a lag time between high rainfall episodes and faiture - example Guinsagon landslide in 2006 in Southern Leyte," he added.

Meanwhile, in a separate NASA study in Asia region of China, Tibet and Nepal, it was stated that rising temperatures are predicted to increase the frequency and intensity of downpour events, which may worsen landslide activity in vulnerable areas. It warns that "more frequent and intense rainfall events due to climate change could cause more landslides.”

Th study mentioned the concerning implications for regions that frequently see high levels of precipitation, such as those experiencing monsoon seasons from June to September which can cause landslides, which can have disastrous effects ranging from the devastation of entire communities to the interruption of vital utilities like transportation and drinking water supplies.