Factors that change the potential of mass wasting include: change in slope angle, weakening of material by weathering , increased water content; changes in vegetation cover, and overloading.
How can mass can be controlled?
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.
What are three triggers for mass wasting?
Mass-wasting events often have a trigger: something changes that causes a landslide to occur at a specific time. It could be rapid snowmelt, intense rainfall, earthquake shaking, volcanic eruption, storm waves, rapid-stream erosion, or human activities , such as grading a new road.
What factors can trigger mass movements?
Such factors include: weathering or erosional debris cover on slopes , which is usually liable to mass movement; the character and structure of rocks, such as resistant permeable beds prone to sliding because of underlying impermeable rocks; the removal of the vegetation cover, which increases the slope’s susceptibility ...
What can trigger mass movements?
Factors that cause Mass Movements
The factors that cause most mass movement events are the undercutting of steep slopes, the removal of vegetation, earthquakes, and heavy prolonged rainfall . Many mass movement disasters are preceded by development, deforestation, and slope steepening, which weakens the slopes.
Can mass wasting be reduced or prevented?
Ultimately preventing mass wasting is impossible because gravity will always exist, but smarter development can help minimize the risk and hazards. One component in landslide mitigation is basic drainage control of water.
Can mass wasting be predicted?
Short-term prediction of mass-wasting events is somewhat more problematical . ... Hydrologic conditions such as heavy precipitation can be forecast with some certainty, and warnings can be issued to areas that might be susceptible to mass movement processes caused by such conditions.
How does mass wasting affect human?
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 are the 4 factors that commonly trigger mass movements?
Among the factors that commonly trigger mass movements are saturation of surface materials with water, oversteepening of slopes, removal of vegetation, and earthquakes . Geologists classify mass movements based on the kind of material that moves, how it moves, and the speed of movement.
What are the different types of mass movement that we are prone to?
- 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 five things that can trigger a mass movement?
Major Triggers for Mass Wasting: Water, Slopes, Vegetation Removal & Earthquakes .
What force must be overcome in order for mass wasting to occur in most cases?
For mass wasting to operate on a sloped surface the gravitational force must be resolved into two vectors (Figure 7). One must be the downward force acting perpendicular to the sloped surface. This is the “Stay Force” component of the vertical pull of gravity.
What are examples of mass movement?
| Types Descriptions | Flows occur when soil or rock acts like a liquid | Slumps a slice of material that moves as one piece along a curved surface | Landslides made up of unconsolidated rock; includes rockslides and avalanches | Creeps material that moves slowly down gently sloping areas |
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What type of mass movement is fall?
Falls are abrupt movements of masses of geologic materials , such as rocks and boulders, that become detached from steep slopes or cliffs. Separation occurs along discontinuities such as fractures, joints, and bedding planes, and movement occurs by free-fall, bouncing, and rolling.
How can mass wasting be slowed down?
It turns out that a small amount of water in the soil can aid slope stability because of increased surface tension. ... Lots of loose debris on the slope is likely to worsen mass wasting. 6. High relief (vertical distance between high and low elevations) generally helps landslides to pick up speed once the slope fails.
What are the negative effects of mass wasting?
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 ...
