Publications
The UCLA Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study team publishes research that examines the short‑ and long‑term health impacts of the 2015–2016 gas blowout. The following studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals.
Exploring the Psychosocial Impacts of the 2015 Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Blowout: Tracing an ‘Invisible’ Disaster Through a Novel Disaster Invisibility Framework
Drawing on a series of focus groups, this study sheds light on the mental health impacts of the disaster on residents of Porter Ranch and surrounding communities. The study also introduces and explores the concept of “invisibility” in the context of disaster science.
Published in Social Science & Medicine, December 2025
Characterization of Methane Plumes During the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Leak: A Remote Sensing Perspective
Using a mix of airborne and satellite images as well as data from ground sensors, researchers confirmed that methane plumes from the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility reached at least 6.2 miles downwind from the blowout site into the Porter Ranch neighborhood.
Published in Environmental Research Communications, October 2025
Investigating the Aliso Canyon Gas Blowout Disaster and Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Quasiexperimental Approach
This study found that women in their final trimester of pregnancy who lived within 6.2 miles of the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Field blowout had a nearly 50% higher-than-expected chance of having a low–birth-weight baby.
Published in Science Advances, September 2025