Mass Wasting

Why worry about weathering, erosion, and soil?

USGS
 Mass Movements
 Mass movements are important to the rock cycle.
 The initial step in sediment transportation.
 A significant agent of landscape change.
 Sudden mass movements can be hazardous.

 Human actions can affect

mass movement.
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Classification based on:
 Rate of movement (fast, intermediate, or slow).
 Type of material (rock, regolith, snow, or ice).
 Nature of flow (cloud, slurry, or distinct blocks).
 Absence/Presence and amount of water.
Types of Mass Wasting
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Creep initiates tilt of trees, fences, and walls
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Creep: Slow downhill movement of regolith.
 Due to expansion and contraction.

Wetting and drying.

Freezing and thawing.
 Grains are moved…

Perpendicular to slope upon expansion.

Vertically by gravity upon contraction.
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Solifluction: Slow downhill movement of tundra.
 Melted permafrost slowly flows over deep-frozen soil.
 generates solifluction lobes.
 Rock glaciers: Mixtures of rock fragments and ice.
 Form when rocks accumulate faster than ice.
 behave like glacial ice, flowing downhill slowly.

Solifluction Rock Glacier

 Types of Mass Wasting
 Slumping:
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Slumping - Sliding as coherent blocks.
 Slippage occurs along a spoon-shaped “failure surface.”
 Variety of sizes and rates of motion.
 Distinctive characteristics…

Head scarp.
Bulging toe.
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Mudflows and debris flows – water-assisted movement.
 Mudflow – A slurry of water and fine sediment

(50% particles < sand size)

 Types of Mass Wasting
 Mudflows and debris flows – water-assisted movement.
 Debris flow – A slurry with many large rocks.

(50% particles > sand size)

 Types of Mass Wasting
 Lahar: A volcanic mud or debris flow.
 Heat from lava can produce sudden melting of a snow cap on a volcano.

Mt. St. Helens

 Lahar Case History
 Nevada del Ruiz volcano (Columbia) eruption 1985.
 Eruption melted some of the mountain’s snowcap.
 Melt water mixed with ash and raced down river valleys.
 20,000 residents of Armero 75 km away were buried in their sleep in
< 3 hours!
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Landslides: Movement down a nonvertical slope.
 Rock slide – Slide consisting of rock only.
 Debris slide – Slide mostly made of regolith.
 Movement down failure surface is sudden and deadly.
 Slide debris can move 300 km/hr on a cushion of air.
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Rockfalls and debris falls – Vertical freefall.
 Bedrock or regolith that falls rapidly down.
 Talus blocks pile up at the base of the slope.
 Types of Mass Wasting
 Avalanches: Turbulent clouds of debris and air.
 Snow avalanche – Oversteepened snow that detaches.
 Debris avalanche – Rock and dust fragments.
 Move up to 250 km/hr on a cushioning layer of air.
 Reasons for mass movements

 Mass movements occur due to...

 gravitational forces.
 Weaknesses in materials.
 Reasons for mass movements
 Weakening of Earth materials: weathering
 Inherent weaknesses - jointing and faulting.
 Chemical and physical weathering produces regolith.
 Surface material is much weaker that solid crustal rock.
 Gravity and slope stability
 Slopes may be stable or unstable.
 Slope stability is a trade-off between two forces.
 Downslope force – Gravitational pull.
 Resisting force – Material properties that resist motion.
 Gravity and slope stability
 Downslope forces = Gravity.
 The weight of Earth materials.

 Resisting forces = Material strength.

 Cohesion.
 Friction.

 Fd < Fr = stable slope

 Gravity and slope stability
 Downslope forces = Gravity.
 The weight of Earth materials.

 Resisting forces = Material strength.

 Cohesion.
 Friction.

 Fd > Fr = unstable slope

 Slope Stability
 Loose granular material assumes a slope angle.
 The maximum angle of stability is called the angle of repose.
 Slope Stability
 “Angle of repose” is a material property due to...
 Particle size, shape, and surface roughness.
 Typical angles of repose.
 Fine sand 35o
 Coarse sand 40o
 Angular pebbles 45o
 Effect of water on Slope Stability
 “Angle of repose” increases with the
presence of limited amounts of water.

 Too much water will make the loose

material into a fluid
 Failure Triggers
 A destabilizing event usually triggers slope failure.
 Triggers are both natural and anthropogenic.
 Shocks and vibrations.
 Changes in slope characteristics.
 Changes in slope strength.
 Heavy rainfall – addition of water.
 Failure Triggers

 Shocks and vibrations.

 Anthropogenic: Motion of heavy
machinery, vehicles, or trains.
 Natural: Earthquakes.
 Failure Triggers
 Changes in slope characteristics
 Angle – Steepening beyond the angle of repose.
 Loading Natural: Rain water.
 Loading Anthropogenic: Landfill or buildings
 Failure Triggers
 Changes in characteristics can destabilize a slope.
 Removing support:

Natural – River eroding base of slope.

Human-induced – Excavating the base of a slope.
 Identifying Slope Hazards
 Geologic mapping can identify regions at risk.
 Past failures (scarps, hummocky land, etc.)
 Currently unstable slopes.

Cracked and bulging ground.

Measurable changes in surveyed land features.
 GPS can detect slow movements.
 Identifying Slope Hazards
 Geologic mapping can identify regions at risk.
 Prevention
 Revegetation – Adding plants has two positive effects.
It removes water by evapotranspiration.
Roots help to bind and anchor regolith.
 Prevention
 Regrading – Reshaping slopes below the angle of repose.
 Drainage – Dewatering reduces weight, increases strength.
 Prevention
 Engineered structures – Safety structures can be built to improve
slope stability or to reduce movement hazards.
Retaining walls – Barriers that pin the base and trap rock.
Covers – A fence or coating that drapes over the outcrop.
 Prevention
 Engineered structures.
Rock staples – Rods drilled into rock to hold loose facing.
 Prevention
 Engineered structures.
Avalanche sheds – Structures that shunt avalanche snow.
 Controlled blasting – Surgical removal of dangerous rock.
Japan landslide
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=23NZTzpw6cY

Hungary accident
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worl
d-europe-11475136

Portland, OR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=K1qY8nPqcCw&feature=fvsr