Themes of the Day:

• Mass Wasting

Mass Wasting

• Gravity vs. Friction
• Factors controlling Mass Wasting:
  • steepness of slope - Angle of Repose
  • presence and amount of fluids - e.g., sand castles
  • orientation of planes of weakness
  • amount and type of loose material (debris)
  • Climatic factors: (ice, water, precipitation, etc.)
  • Vegetation (fires)
• Triggering Mechanisms
  • Heavy Precipitation - Debris Flow, Devore, California
  • Earthquakes - e.g., Turnagain Heights, Alaska, Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska
  • Volcanoes
  • Human Activities
• Types of Mass Wasting
  • Flows - fluid movement - Calabria, Italy, 2/16/10
  • Slides - down slope movement of coherent units - Tennessee Rockslide - Another View
  • Falls - rapid free-fall of blocks - Eiger Rockfall - Yosemite Rock Falls
  • La Conchita - 1995 - 2005
  • Japanese Landslide - another view
• Mitigation - drainage, vegetation, engineering, avoid steep slopes - Norwegian Helicopter Wrecking Ball
• USGS Landslides Hazards Program
• The Landslide Blog by Dr. Dave Petley

Mass Wasting Slideshow - Chapter 8