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Exploring the psychosocial impacts of the 2015 Aliso Canyon natural gas blowout: Tracing an ‘invisible’ disaster through a novel Disaster Invisibility Framework

Author

Listed:
  • Lynch, Kathleen A.
  • Loeb, Tamra
  • Gravereaux, Charles
  • Monte-Sano, Sydney
  • Hoang, Anh
  • Batteate, Christina
  • Liu, Honghu
  • Abramson, David M.
  • Eisenman, David P.

Abstract

Between October 2015–February 2016, the Aliso Canyon gas well in Los Angeles County leaked more than 100,000 metric tons of methane and ethane gas into the atmosphere, the largest uncontrolled release from a single underground gas storage facility in United States history. This event was an ‘invisible disaster’ both in terms of the physical nature of exposure (aerosolized natural gas) and collective recognition. This qualitative study aimed to identify and articulate the multiple ‘invisible’ dimensions of the Aliso Canyon blowout as a framework for understanding the disaster's long-term psychological, social, and community impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Lynch, Kathleen A. & Loeb, Tamra & Gravereaux, Charles & Monte-Sano, Sydney & Hoang, Anh & Batteate, Christina & Liu, Honghu & Abramson, David M. & Eisenman, David P., 2025. "Exploring the psychosocial impacts of the 2015 Aliso Canyon natural gas blowout: Tracing an ‘invisible’ disaster through a novel Disaster Invisibility Framework," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 387(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:387:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625010299
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118698
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    References listed on IDEAS

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