- Rockfall. Bits of rock fall off the cliff face, usually due to freeze-thaw weathering.
- Mudflow. Saturated soil (soil filled with water) flows down a slope.
- Landslide. Large blocks of rock slide downhill.
- Rotational slip. Saturated soil slumps down a curved surface.
What are the types of mass movement?
The types of mass movements caused by the above factors include: the abrupt movement and free fall of loosened blocks of solid rock, known as rockfalls ; several types of almost imperceptible downslope movement of surficial soil particles and rock debris, collectively called creep; the subsurface creep of rock material, ...
How does mass movement affect humans?
As human populations expand and occupy more and more of the land surface , mass movement processes become more likely to affect humans. The table below shows some of the most deadly movement processes since 1900. In a typical year in the United States, landslides cause over $2 billion in damages and 25 to 50 deaths.
What causes mass movement?
Gravity is the main force responsible for mass movements. Gravity is a force that acts everywhere on the Earth’s surface, pulling everything in a direction toward the center of the Earth. ... So long as the material remains on the flat surface it will not move under the force of gravity.
What are 4 causes of mass movement?
The causes of mass wasting include an increased slope steepness, increased water, decreased vegetation and earthquakes . One of the types of mass wasting that is an example of the slope failing is a slump. This is the sliding of coherent rock material along a curved surface.
What is fall in mass movement?
The basic types of landslide movement are: Fall. This is generally characterized by rapid or extremely rapid rate of movement with the descent of material characterized by a freefall period. Falls are commonly triggered by earthquakes or erosion processes.
What are the 5 types of mass movement?
- Rockfall. Bits of rock fall off the cliff face, usually due to freeze-thaw weathering.
- Mudflow. Saturated soil (soil filled with water) flows down a slope.
- Landslide. Large blocks of rock slide downhill.
- Rotational slip. Saturated soil slumps down a curved surface.
Which mass movement is the fastest?
Landslides and avalanches can move as fast as 200 to 300 km/hour. Figure 3. (a) Landslides are called rock slides by geologists. (b) A snow avalanche moves quickly down slope, burying everything in its path.
What are the consequences of mass movement?
Mass movements affect the following elements of the environment: (1) the topography of the earth’s surface, particularly the morphologies of mountain and valley systems, both on the continents and on the ocean floors ; (2) the character/quality of rivers and streams and groundwater flow; (3) the forests that cover much ...
What are four ways to prevent mass movements?
Mass movement control must be primarily preventive: e.g., mapping vulnerable zones, drawing up a land use plan, banning building work or any modification of slopes, and protection in the form of coppice forests.
Why is mass movement important?
Mass movements are an important part of the erosional process, as it moves material from higher elevations to lower elevations where transporting agents like streams and glaciers can then pick up the material and move it to even lower elevations.
What is the slowest type of mass movement?
The slowest and least noticeable, but most widespread of the slow mass wasting categories is creep . Creep involves the entire hillside, and is characterized by very slow movement of soil or rock material over a period of several years.
Which mass movement is the most destructive?
The most destructive type of mass movement is a landslide , which occurs when rock and soil slide quickly down a steep slope. Some landslides may contain huge masses of rock, while others may contain only a small amount of rock and soil.
What is flow in mass-wasting?
Mass wasting – is movement in which bed rock, rock debris, or soil moves downslope in bulk, or as a mass, because of the pull of gravity. ... Flow – The debris is moving downslope as a viscous fluid . A mudflow is a flowing mixture of debris and water, usually moving down a channel.
How do you control mass-wasting?
Engineering solutions include barriers and retaining walls, drainage pipes, terracing the slope to reduce the steepness of the cuts, and immediate revegetation. Rockfalls can be controlled or eliminated by the use of rock bolts, cables, and screens and by cutting back slopes to lesser gradients.
Can we prevent mass wasting?
We cannot prevent mass wasting , however, in many situations there are actions we can take to reduce or mitigate the damaging effects of mass wasting on people and infrastructure. Where we can neither delay nor mitigate mass wasting, we may consider trying to initiate the slope failure in a controlled manner.
