EXOGENIC PROCESSES:

MASS WASTING
Mass Wasting
 It is the downslope movement
of rock, regolith, and soil under
the direct influence of gravity
(Tarbuck, et.al.2014)
Mass Wasting
 Gravity - main immediate agent
in mass movement
Mass Movement
 important part of the erosional
processes whereby mass wasting
moves materials from higher to
lower elevations where streams or
glaciers can then pick up the loose
materials and eventually move
them to a site of deposition
Landslide
 a common term used by many people
to describe sudden event in which
large quantities of rock and soil
plunge down steep slopes
Landslide
Controlling Factors in
Mass Wasting
1. Slope Angle

 As the slope increase, the tendency to

slide down the slope becomes greater.
 Shear strength - all forces resisting
movement down slope

 When shear stress > shear strength ,

downslope movement occurs
2. Role of Water

 Water
Angle has the
of repose ability
- the to change
steepest slope atthe
which a
pileangle
of unconsolidated
of repose. grains remain stable
 For slightly wet sand, a high angle
of repose will be observed while a
very low angle of repose will be
observed for water-saturated sand.
3. Presence of Clays

A. Expansive and
Hydrocompacting Soils
B. Sensitive Soils
C. Quick Clay
D. Weak Materials and
Structures
A. Expansive and
hydrocompacting soils

 contain a high
proportion of smectite
or montmorillonite
which expand when
wet and shrink when
they dry out
B. Sensitive soils
 clays in some soils rearrange
themselves after dissolution of salts in
the pore spaces
C. Quick clays

 water-saturated clays that

spontaneously liquefy when
disturbed
D. Weak materials and structures

 become slippage surfaces if weight

is added or support is removed
(bedding planes, weak layers, joints
and fractures, foliation planes)
Mass Wasting Process
 Slope Failures
 sudden failure of the slope
resulting in transport of debris
downhill by rolling, sliding, and
slumping.
1. Slump

 downward rotation of rock or regolith

occurs along a curved surface
 2. Rock fall and Debris fall

 free falling of dislodged bodies of rocks or a

mixture of rock, regolith, and soil in the case
of debris fall
 3. Rock slide and Debris slide

 involves the rapid displacement of masses

of rock or debris along an inclined surface
 Sediment Flow
 materials flow downhill mixed
with water or air
1. Slurry Flow

 water-saturated flow which

contains 20-40% water; above 40%
water content, slurry flows grade
into streams
 Solifluction
 common wherever water cannot
escape from the saturated surface
layer by infiltrating to deeper levels

 distinctive features: lobes and

sheets of debris
Solifluction
 Debris Flow
 results from heavy rains causing soil
and regolith to be saturated with
water
 commonly have a tongue-like front
 Debris flows composed mostly of
volcanic materials on the flanks of
volcanoes are called lahars.
Debris Flow
 Mud Flow

 highly fluid, high velocity mixture of

sediment and water

 differs with debris flow in that fine-

grained material is predominant
Mud Flow
2. Granular Flow

 contains low amounts of water, 0-

20% water; fluid-like behavior is
possible by mixing with air
 Creep

 slowest type of mass wasting

 occurs when regolith alternately
expands and contracts in response
to freezing and thawing, wetting
and drying, or warming and cooling
Creep
 Earth Flow
 involves fine-grained material such
as clay and silt and usually
associated with heavy rains or
snowmelt

 tend to be narrow tongue-like

features that that begin at a scarp
or cliff
 Grain Flow

 forms in dry or nearly dry granular

sediment with air filling the pore
spaces such as sand flowing down
the dune face
 Debris avalanche

 very high velocity flows involving

huge masses of falling rocks and
debris that break up and pulverize
on impact
 often occurs in very steep mountain
ranges.
Subaqueous Mass
Movement
Subaqueous Mass Wasting

 Subaqueous mass movement

occurs on slopes in the ocean
basins.
 This may occur as a result of an
earthquake or due to an over-
accumulation of sediment on slope
or submarine canyon.
Subaqueous Mass Wasting

 Three Types:
1. Submarine Slumps
2. Submarine Debris Flow
3. Turbidity Current
 Submarine Slumps

 similar to slumps on land

Submarine Debris Flow

 similar to debris flows on land

 Turbidity Current

 Sediment moves as a turbulent cloud

Events that Trigger Mass
Wasting Process
Shocks and Vibrations

 earthquakes and minor shocks such

as those produced by heavy trucks
on the road, man-made explosions
Slope Modification

 creating artificially steep slope so it

is no longer at the angle of repose
Undercutting

 heavy rains lead to water-saturated

regolith increasing its weight,
reducing grain to grain contact and
angle of repose
Changes in Hydrologic
Characteristics
 heavy rains lead to water-saturated
regolith increasing its weight,
reducing grain to grain contact and
angle of repose
Changes in Slope Strength

 weathering weakens the rock and

leads to slope failure
 vegetation holds soil in place and
slows the influx of water
 tree roots strengthen slope by
holding the ground together
Volcanic Eruptions

 produce shock
 may produce large volumes of
water from melting of glaciers
during eruption, resulting to
mudflows and debris flows
How landslide hazard can
be reduced
 Hazard Zone Mapping

 production of a landslide hazard

map
 These maps should serve to reduce
hazard by keeping people away
from the most vulnerable slopes.
 Proper Land Use
 Proper care to be taken to avoid
blockage of natural drainage

 Developmental activity should be

taken up only after a detailed study
of the area
 Engineering Mitigation
Techniques

 Anchoring the footings of a structure in

solid bedrock.
 Engineering Mitigation
Techniques

 Drainage systems that drain water from

the surface and/or subsurface
 Engineering Mitigation
Techniques
 Buttress fills and retaining devices
to stabilize slope. Example includes
retaining walls, shotcrete, metal
mesh, and rockbolts.
 Building deflection walls to send
flows around a structure
Engineering Mitigation
Techniques