Pdf overview of the effects of mass wasting on the natural. Mass wasting is considered by geologists as the movement of dirt, rock, sediment, and landscape downhill. Mass wasting erosion features exceeding 50 m 2 in a map view were observed in sandstone bedrock at four locations along the coast at tusan. Steep slopes, widely varying altitude ranges relief, the thickness of the loose earth material, planes of weakness parallel to the slopes, frequent freezing and thawing, high water content in the earth material, dry conditions with occasional heavy rainfall, and sparse vegetation are the factors that. Mass movements also called mass wasting is the downslope movement of regolith loose uncemented mixture of soil and rock particles that covers the earths surface by the force of gravity without the aid of a transporting medium such as water, ice, or wind.
Name and describe two examples of a local indirect effect of the oso masswasting eventnear to the town of oso. Thus, mass wasting is spontaneous movement of soil, regolith, and rock under the influence of gravity. One of the types of mass wasting that is an example of the slope failing is a slump. Describe the main types of mass wastingcreep, slump, translational slide, rotational slide, fall, and debris flow or mudflowin terms of the types of materials involved, the type of motion, and the likely rates of motion. The primary regions of landslide occurrence and potential are the coastal and mountainous areas of california, oregon, and washington, the states comprising the intermountain west, and the mountainous. Types of mass wasting study guide by kyouyatategami includes 9 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. This is one of the central concepts of this course. Pieces of rock regularly fall to the base of cliffs to form talus slopes.
Mass wasting and slope processes mass wasting is a broad science theme dealing with the downhill movement of rocks and debris. In the daytime, temperatures in the spring and fall tend to be above freezing, which. This chapter discusses the fundamental processes driving masswasting, types of mass wasting, examples and lessons learned from famous masswasting events, how mass wasting can be predicted, and how people can be protected from this potential hazard. Mass wasting or mass movement is the movement of a large mass of rock, soil and debris downward due to the pull of gravity. Mass wasting, which is sometimes called mass movement or slope movement, is defined as the large movement of rock, soil and debris downward due to.
When the gravitational force acting on a slope exceeds its resisting force, slope failure mass wasting occurs. Explain what types of events can trigger mass wasting. Slump usually results when the geometrical stability of a slope is compromised by the undercutting of its base, such as by wave action, a meandering river, or construction. Type of material involved mud, earth, rock type of motion fall freefalling pieces slide material moves along a surface as a coherent mass flow material moves as a chaotic mixture the velocity of the movement fast or slow. If streams alone were responsible for creating the valleys in which they flow, the valleys would be very narrow features. Mass movement is defined as the down slope movement of rock and regolith near the earths surface mainly due to the force of gravity. Mass movements and mass movement processes tulane university. Which of the following types of mass wasting best describes this slope failure. Masswasting and masswasting processes masswasting and its human impacts.
Types of mass wasting flows solifluction the slow downslope movement of watersaturated surface sediment known as solifluction is most common in areas of permafrost. Mass wasting is the movement of material down a slope by gravity. Mass wasting mass movement is the downslope transfer of rock and debris by gravity. Learn about the process of mass wasting, the factors that must be present to trigger it and the different types. Steep slopes, widely varying altitude ranges relief, the thickness of the loose earth material, planes of weakness parallel to the slopes, frequent freezing and thawing, high water content in the earth material, dry conditions with occasional heavy rainfall, and sparse vegetation are the factors. Introduction mass wasting the downslope movement of.
Mass wasting, also known as slope movement or mass movement, is the geomorphic process. After an unusually heavy rainfall, the slope failed very quickly along a curved surface. Mass wasting, also known as slope movement or mass movement, is the geomorphic process by which soil, sand, regolith, and rock move downslope typically as a solid, continuous or discontinuous mass, largely under the force of gravity, frequently with characteristics of a flow as in debris flows and mudflows. The types of movement, falls, slides, and flows, will be covered in this module. The steepest angle that cohesion less slope can maintain without losing its stability is known as its critical angle of repose. Besides the mass of material that buried the town, the oso masswasting event left a mark on the geographic and societal landscape both locally and regionally. Mass movements also called masswasting is the downslope movement. Many different types of mass movement fall into the general category of mass wasting, from large landslides and debris avalanches to rockfalls, debris flows and soil creep. Rocks that fall to the base of a cliff make a talus slope figure 1. It is an important slope process and is responsible for transporting large quantities of sediment into streams. Download fulltext pdf overview of the effects of mass wasting on the natural environment article pdf available in environmental and engineering geoscience 1. Mass wasting is the movement, caused by gravity andor water, of bedrock, rock, debris or soil in bulk downslope.
Check your knowledge of the types of mass wasting and erosion with an interactive quiz and printable worksheet. Jan 08, 2017 effects of mass wasting the combined effects of mass wasting and running water produce stream valleys, which are the most common and conspicuous of earths landforms. Slump is defined as sliding of coherent rock material along a curved surface. Effects of mass wasting mass movements affect the following elements of the environment the topography of the earths surface, particularly the morphologies of mountain and valley systems, both on the continents and on the ocean floors the characterquality of rivers and streams and groundwater flow the forests that cover much of the earths. Most river valleys are much wider than they are deep. Types of mass wasting include creep, slides, flows, topples, and falls, each with its. 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. We cant always predict or prevent the occurrence of masswasting events, a knowledge of the processes and their relationship to local geology can lead to intelligent planning that will help reduce losses of life and property controls and triggers of mass wasting important factors include. Dec 16, 2015 this lecture explains the basic difference between weathering and erosion.
However, the most important factor to initiate mass movement is the gravitational pull of the earth. These flows typically occur in humid areas on steep slopes with thick, clay. The features are shown in a map view and a crosssection view in fig. That includes all earth materials, rock and regolith. Manishika jain further explains the 3 types of weathering biological, physical and chemical and finally 6 primary. In the process, trash from the base of the slope was removed and piled on top of the landfill.
Types of mass wasting include creep, slides, flow s, topples, and falls, each with its own characteristic features, and taking place ove r timescales from seconds to years. Areas with steep topography and rapid rainfall, such as the california coast, rocky mountain region, and pacific northwest, are particularly susceptible to hazardous masswasting events. Mass wasting occurs both on land and beneath the sea. Landslides, slump, creep, rock falls, debris falls, rock slides, mudslides, mudflows. A variety of conditions affect the development of mass wasting in a particular area. Chapter 15 mass wasting physical geology 2nd edition. Types of mass wasting processes defined by the movement of the material the character of the movement fall slide flow types of mass wasting processes defined by the movement of the material the rate of the movement fast slow forms of mass wasting slump rockslide debris flow earth flow creep solifluction. This chapter discusses the fundamental processes driving mass wasting, types of mass wasting, examples and lessons learned from famous mass wasting events, how mass wasting can be predicted, and how people can be protected from this potential hazard. Classification of mass wasting processes generally, each event is classified by.
Most rapid mass movements are triggered by strong vibrations from earthquakes and or excessive amounts of water eq trigger mass wasting by shaking the slope volcanic activity may melt snow and ice or blow the sides of mountains off. Apr 10, 2019 mass wasting, sometimes called mass movement, is the downward movement by gravity of rock, regolith loose, weathered rock andor soil on the sloped top layers of the earths surface. Landslide, slump list the kinds of slide mass wastings 2 creep, soliffuction, earthflow, mudflow and debris flow, lahar, debris avalanche list the types of flow mass wasting 67 ways to prevent mass wasting. Masswasting is defined as the down slope movement of rock and regolith near the earths surface mainly due to the force of gravity. Rockfall is a type of mass movement that involves the detachment and movement of a small block of rock from a bank face to its base. Mass wasting, which is sometimes called mass movement or slope movement, is defined as the large movement of rock, soil and debris downward due to the force of gravity. Information on these locations, dimensions, and key characteristics of the features are presented in table 4, and shown in photographs in fig. Mass wasting is the mass movement of unconsolidated soil, sand, rocks, regolith the layer of unconsolidated solid material covering the bedrock of a planet, etc. In addition its annually responsible for causing millions of dollars worth of damage. Masswasting definition of masswasting by merriamwebster. Erosion is the removal of sediments by natural processes e.
I will explain my understanding of mass wasting and streams and how they are connected. Types and causes of mass wastingmass movement of rocks. Slope failure, also referred to as mass wasting, is the downslope movement of rock debris and soil in response to gravitational stresses. The type of material that failed typically either bedrock or unconsolidated sediment. Varieties of these are called earthflows, mudflows, and debris avalanches. When earth material moves down a hillside as a fluidlike mass, it is called an earthflow. Given this wide range of characteristics, it should not come as a surprise to you that classification is difficult and terminology can be confusing. Slump usually results due to an undercutting of the mountains base such as by wave action, a meandering river, or construction. Removal of vegetation can lead to mass wasting 6 earthquakes and volcanoes. The three criteria used to describe slope failures are. Mass wasting is the transfer or movement of rock or soil down slope primarily by gravity. You will also be exposed to the various types of mass wasting, their causes and their effects. It is a significant part of the process of erosion because it moves material from high elevations to lower elevations.
Mass wasting is the downhill movement of rock and soil material due to gravity. Pdf overview of the effects of mass wasting on the. Exogenic geomorphic process gives rise to exogenic geomorphic movements or simply exogenic movements such as weathering and erosion. Slow invisible movement of soil downhill mass wasting is the movement of sediment or soil downhill by gravity. There are many forms of mass wasting, depending on the speed of the motion and the amount of water involved. Normally occurs when the rock has well defined bedding planes that are exaggerated by freezethaw action or thermal expansion and contraction. These flows typically occur in humid areas on steep slopes with thick. In this section, you will learn the term mass wasting. A rock fall are the fastest of all landslide types and occurs when a rock falls through the air until it comes to rest on the groundnot too complicated. In this episode, the following aspects of masswasting are highlighted. Summarize the types of motion that can happen during mass wasting. Landslide types and processes printed on recycled paper l andslides in the united states occur in all 50 states. Mass wasting occurs on both terrestrial and submarine slopes, and has been observed on earth, mars, venus, and jupiters moon.
Creep, solifluction, and slumping are common types of mass wasting. Water may be involved in weathering the material, or it may become a part of the material moving, but mass wasting does not include that sediment moving downhill because it is within a moving body of water. Research geological sciences department california. Exogenic geomorphic movements the geomorphic processes on the earths crust or its surface brought down by the forces emanating from above the earths surface wind, water are called exogenic geomorphic process. When we name or recognize the two types of slow downslope movements. Mass wasting, sometimes called mass movement, is the downward movement by gravity of rock, regolith loose, weathered rock andor soil on the sloped top layers of the earths surface. Research geological sciences department california state. Mass wasting is the movement, caused by gravity and or water, of bedrock, rock, debris or soil in bulk downslope. Masswasting definition is the process involving movement of mantlerock that is controlled directly by gravity and that includes such gradual movements as creep and solifluction and such rapid movements as produce rockfalls, landslides, and mudflows. Click to view the presentation in html online lecture pt. Geological sciences department, california state university, long beach. Deposition is the process by which weathered and eroded materials.
Types of mass wasting a rock fall are the fastest of all landslide types and occurs when a rock falls through the air until it comes to rest on the groundnot too complicated. Competitive exams mass wasting and its impacts are important. Mass wasting is the down slope movement of rock debris under the pull of gravity without a transporting medium. Mass wasting occurs when the gravitational force acting on a slope exceeds its resisting force leading to slope failure. A rockslide is the sliding of rock material down a mountain. It exposes soil to erosion leaving it without protection against the force of raindrops, which moves loose rocks and soil. Apr 02, 2016 the steepest angle that cohesion less slope can maintain without losing its stability is known as its critical angle of repose. This often occurs due to an undercutting of a mountains base. Geomorphic process by which soil, regolith, and rock move down slope under the force of gravity. This is the sliding of coherent rock material along a curved surface. Three major types of mass wasting are classified by the type of downslope movement.
The rockslide or rock avalanche loses energy and speed as it moves across more level terrain. In utah, they are common in the spring and fall because of freezethaw weathering. At a local landfill, the liner beneath the trash was being repaired. Students will be asked to answer the following questions. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Mass wasting is the downslope movement of masses of earth materials. Click to view or download the presentation in pdf 34 mbytes.
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