Physical geographyLesson 3 of 3 in the course Landforms and geomorphology

Mass Wasting: Processes, Slope Failure, Hazards, and Mitigation

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

Save course
Lesson progress
0 / 5

Your progress is kept in this browser only.Sign up to save it

Summary

Mass wasting moves rock and soil downslope under gravity. This lesson introduces how mass wasting differs from other forms of erosion and explains its principal types, from slow creep to rapid landslides.

Mass wasting, also called mass movement, is the downslope movement of rock or soil driven by gravity. Unlike many other erosion processes, the transported material is not carried within a moving medium such as a river, wind, or glacier. Water can help loosen and move material, but when it is abundant enough to act as the transporting medium, the process may instead be classified as stream erosion.

All flashcards

Mass wasting
Gravity-driven downslope movement of rock or soil, rather than transport by a moving medium.
Soil creep
Slow, cumulative downslope movement of soil or rock, often visible in tilted structures or curved trees.
Solifluction
Gradual downslope movement of moisture-saturated soil, often during summer thaw above permafrost.
Passive causes of mass wasting
Conditions that make a slope susceptible to movement without necessarily initiating it.
Activating causes of mass wasting
Events or changes, such as earthquakes or undercutting, that initiate slope movement.

Quiz questions

  1. Which condition is a passive cause that can make a slope susceptible to mass wasting?Answer: Weak, unconsolidated material that loses cohesion when wet.
  2. Which features are commonly associated with debris-flow tracks?Answer: Very poorly sorted material, often with natural levees along the sides.
  3. What is one purpose of improving drainage in a mass-wasting source area?Answer: Reducing excess water that can weaken slope material.
  4. What delayed hazard can follow when a landslide blocks a river?Answer: Flooding if the landslide dam later fails.
  5. On which settings can mass wasting occur?Answer: Terrestrial slopes and submarine slopes.

Based on the Wikipedia article Mass wasting, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

More in Physical geography

All Physical geography lessons
Physical geographyGlacial Erosion, Depositional Landforms, and Lakes5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Physical geographyGeomorphology: Landforms, Processes, and Landscape Change5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Physical geographyErosion: Agents, Landforms, Rates, and Impacts5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Physical geographyFluvial Sediment Transport, Deposition, and Runoff Erosion5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →