Controlling Factors

Of Land Sliding
By:
Arshia Mustafa
 Outline
1 What is Land sliding? Why Land Slides?

2 Controlling Factors of Land sliding

3 Land sliding In Pakistan

4 Prevention and Precautions?

5 Conclusion
 Land sliding
“When the upper mass of soil gets dislocated from lower layers and
traves down-slope – under the influence of gravity - it is referred to as
Land sliding.”

Material on most slopes is constantly moving down the slope at rates that vary
from a creep of soil and rock to thundering avalanches and rockfalls that move at
tremendous velocities.

Creep Rapid Extremely Rapid

(few mm or cm/year) (1.5 m/day) (30m or more/second)
Why Land slides?

es
rc
If, Driving Forces = Resisting Forces

Fo

es
g

rc
in
Then, the slope is in equilibrium.

Fo
ist

g
es

in
R

iv
Dr
When Driving forces exceeds the Slope becomes unstable.

Increase in
Driving Forces
Stable Slope Unstable Slope
 Controlling factors of Land sliding
1 Slope Angle 6 Volcanism
2 Relief 7 Soil Erosion
3 Soil Thickness 8 Earthquakes
4 Nature Of Material 9 Mining

5 Moisture Content 10 Deforestation

1. Slope Angle - The landslide density increases with an increase in slope
gradient.

Gentle Slope

lit y
b i
e sta
p
slo

Steep Slope

Slope angle Shear Forces Mass movement

2. Local Relief
Tectonic activities – tends to decrease the stability of the region and cause
an increase in the local relief of an area.

Seismic Map Of Pakistan Relief Map Of Pakistan

3. Soil Thickness
An increase in soil production rate and soil thickness has a destabilizing
effect on slope stability.

Soil Thickness
Topography High
High
Slope is highly
Rate of erosion unstable
High

An increase in Soil Thickness also contributes to the

increase in water saturation of the soil.
4. Nature Of Material
Shales - rocks composed of clay and silt-sized grains--are most often
associated with landslides. When shale is near the ground surface where
the water content fluctuates, it weathers into a clayey soil that could be
landslide prone.

Limestones are usually hard sedimentary rocks composed of calcium

carbonate and can provide strength to slopes. Sandstones, rocks composed of
sand-sized grains, can be either loosely cemented and soft or hard and resistant.

Hard rock layers that resist weathering are termed

competent rocks. Sandstones and limestone exposed in
cliffs or roadcuts can pose a risk for rock fall, especially
when they overlie shales.
5. Natural Moisture Content
When soil is saturated with water (as from heavy rain or NMC
melting snow), it becomes less viscous and is more likely to Hydrostatic Pressure
flow downslope. The added gravitational shear force from the Friction b/w particle
increased weight is usually less important than the reduction Shear strength
in shear strength. This is due to increased pore pressure in
which water forces soil grains apart.

Pore water pressure

Effective stress
 Physical Processes Causing Land sliding
Landslides are common on volcanic cones
because of the explosive eruption of molten
rock. Magma releases volcanic gases that
Volcanism dissolve in water (acidic water), resulting in a
hot acidic hydrothermal system that weakens
rock by altering minerals to clay.
Heavy rainfall trigger land sliding by
these mechanisms:
1. increase the density of rock mass.
2. increase in the Gravitational pull. Heavy Rainfall
3. reduces friction b/w the particles.
4. Increase in the driving forces ..
 Physical Processes Causing Land sliding
Strong earthquake ground shaking greatly
increases the chances of landslides where
Earthquakes the landscape is susceptible to these types
of ground failure. Also known as
“earthquake-induced landslide”.

When the forces holding soil or rock

together are smaller than the force of
gravity pulling them down. Landslides
are a type of soil erosion - which Soil Erosion
transports soil in a short time and in a
very large volume.
 Artificial Processes Causing Land sliding
Different operations of mining produce a huge
number of vibrations, especially blasting
Mining techniques and vibrations that can reach
hundreds of meters under the soil surface and
poses threat to other areas that are at risk of
sliding.

When trees are cut down, their roots are

no longer available to hold the soil
together. Heavy rainfall is sufficient to Deforestation
make the rocks and boulders come
hurtling down.
Land sliding In
Pakistan

Ref. Research Gate

 Land sliding in Pakistan
Geologically, the Himalayas constitute the youngest and the most
dominating mountain system in the world. They comprise the worst
slide-affected area of Pakistan. It has been estimated that 30% of the
world’s landslides occur in the Himalayas. After the Kashmir earthquake
of 2005, in Balakot alone 1,293landslides were identified at 174 locations.

In Pakistan, during the rainy season landslides occur mostly along the
highways built in the mountainous terrain. Similarly, deforestation has
further accelerated the problem of mass wasting in the hilly areas of north
and northwest parts of Pakistan.
Causes and extent of environmental impacts of landslide hazard
in the Himalayan region: a case study of Murree, Pakistan
In the Murree area physical environmental and man-made factors are known to cause
landslides in Murree. Landslide is a dominant hazard in the area, and the dwellers of the
region are very well aware of the damaging effects of slope instability.

The instability in the Murree area is partly due to its inherited geological characteristics
and climatic conditions and partly due to human factors.

The study found that in the past few decades there has been an increase in the severity of
damages caused by landslides. The major reasons for this increasing trend are the
ecological and environmental imbalances from human activities. The study confirmed
that not only did the population and occupancy of the slide-prone slopes expand, but also
human ability to change the hill slope at such an unabated speed has produced an entirely
anthropogenic landscape.
Tectonic map showing
major faults around
Murree
 Murree area surface
lithology and distribution
of landslides
Murree area slope
map
Mean monthly temperature and rainfall, 1960–
2000
How to prevent Landslides?
• Improve drainage
• Reduce the angle of the slope.
• Unload the top of the slope by excavation.
• Ground improvement methods
• Retaining walls and concrete lining

Precautions?
• Try and get out of the path of the landslide or mudflow
• Run to the nearest high ground in a direction away from the path.
• If rocks and other debris are approaching, run for the nearest shelter
such as a building.

By: Geological Survey of India

 Conclusion
Controlling Factors Most stable condition Least stable condition
Gentle slopes or horizontal
Geomorph- Slope Gradient Steep or vertical
surface
ology
Local Relief Low High
Soil cover Slight thickness Great thickness
Ground Nature of material Less sensitive, hard, compacted Sensitive, soft, foliated
Condition Film of water around fine
Water content Saturation of soil with water
particles
Volcanism Absent or minor Frequently
Rainfall Low Heavy rainfall
Physical
Earthquake Absent or minor Intense
Processes
Soil erosion Least High
Vegetation Moderately vegetated Highly or Sparsely vegetated
Artificial Mining Not through blasting Blasting
Causes Deforestation Absent or minor High rate
End
 Land sliding in Pakistan
Land slide prone
areas Of Pakistan Causes

Immature geology and high rainfall trigger land sliding

in muree. The area mostly consists of fragile rocks
Murree, Punjab with hard gray to reddish sandstone inter-bedded with
soft red calcareous shale. These rocks have the
highest tendency toward landslides.
District Ghizer, Steep slopes with high relief, strong precipitation, high
Gilgit Baltistan seismicity, and earthquakes.
Quetta, Balochistan Thrust faulting, seismic activities.