Mass wasting, also known as mass movement, is the process by which rock and regolith move downslope mainly due to the pull of gravity. Jump to: navigation, search Our earth is composed of three main types of rock, each having been formed in its own special way. ... Jump to: navigation, search Regolith is a layer of loose, heterogeneous material covering solid rock. ...

This process is greatly accelerated on Earth in the presence of water, both as liquid and from the action of water as it freeze fractures rock. Mass wasting may also occur underwater in the form of underwater landslides, debris flows, slumps, and so forth. Jump to: navigation, search Earth, also known as the Earth, Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third-closest planet to the Sun. ... Jump to: navigation, search Water (from the Old English word wæter; c. ...

When the gravitational force acting on a slope exceeds its resisting force, slope failure (mass wasting) occurs. The slope material's strength and cohesion and the amount of internal friction between grains help maintain the slope's stability and are known collectively as the slopes shear strength. Shear strength is a term used to describe the compressive strength of materials, especially soil. ...

The steepest angle that a slope can maintain without losing its stability is known as its angle of repose. When a slope possesses this angle, its shear strength perfectly counterbalances the force of gravity acting upon it. For the engineering term, see Angle of repose. ...

Mass wasting may occur at a very slow rate, particularly in areas that are very dry or those areas that receive sufficient rainfall such that vegetation has stabilised the surface. It may also occur at a very high rate of speed, such as in rock slides or landslides, with disastrous consequences. This entry refers to the geological term landslide. ...

Factors that contribute to mass wasting include: change in slope angle, weakening of material by weathering, increased water content, changes in vegetation cover and overloading.

Types of Mass Wasting

• Falls
  • Rockfall
• Slides
  • Slump
  • Rock slide
• Flows
  • Mudflow
  • Debris flow
  • Earthflow
  • Quick clays
  • Solifluction
  • Creep

A submarine slope movement which may be a result of tidal forces acting on an unstable slope, or from a large seismic event near the affected body of water. ... This entry refers to the geological term landslide. ... Jump to: navigation, search A lahar is a mixture of rock, mud, water and usually debris that flows down from a volcano (or occasionally other mountains), typically along a river valley. ... The slow prgoression of rock and other debris down a low grade slope; it can also refer to slow deformation of such materials as a result of prolonged pressure and stress. ...

References

• Monroe, Wicander (2005) The Changing Earth: Exploring Geology and Evolution, Thomson Brooks/Cole. ISBN 0-495-01020-0

External links

• Mass Wasting