What is it called when rocks fall down a slope?

What is it called when rocks fall down a slope?

A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides are a type of “mass wasting,” which denotes any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity.

What are 4 types of landslides?

Landslides are part of a more general erosion or surficial pro- cess known as mass wasting, which is simply the downslope movement of earth or surface materials due to gravity. They are classified into four main types: fall and toppling, slides (rotational and translational), flows and creep.

What is a rock slide called?

Numerous small falls from a cliff of hard rock produce a talus or scree, that is, an accumulation of loosely packed rock fragments sloping outward from the cliff. Such a landform is sometimes popularly called a rock slide. This entry, however, concentrates on slope movements in rock.

What is a debris slide?

: a mass of predominantly unconsolidated and incoherent soil and rock fragments that has slid or rolled rapidly down a steep slope when comparatively dry to form an irregular hummocky deposit — compare debris-avalanche.

What is slide landslide?

A slide-type landslide is a downslope movement of material that occurs along a distinctive rupture or slip surface. These landslides are characterised by a prominent main scarp and back-tilted bench or block at the top, with limited internal deformation. Below this, movement is more or less rotational about an axis.

What is a rotational slide?

Rotational slide: This is a slide in which the surface of rupture is curved concavely upward and the slide movement is roughly rotational about an axis that is parallel to the ground surface and transverse across the slide (fig. 3A).

What is block slide?

A block slide is a translational slide in which the moving mass consists of a single unit or a few closely related units that move downslope as a relatively coherent mass (fig. 3C). Click on image for larger version.

What are the six types of mass movement?

Types of mass movement

• Rockfall. Bits of rock fall off the cliff face, usually due to freeze-thaw weathering.
• Mudflow. Saturated soil (soil filled with water) flows down a slope.
• Landslide. Large blocks of rock slide downhill.
• Rotational slip. Saturated soil slumps down a curved surface.

What is a rock topple?

Topples. Topple failures involve the forward rotation and movement of a mass of rock, earth or debris out of a slope. This kind of slope failure generally occurs around an axis (or point) at or near the base of the block of rock. A good example of a site experiencing topple failures is Aldbrough, UK.

What is rotational sliding?

Rotational slide: This is a slide in which the surface of rupture is curved concavely upward and the slide movement is roughly rotational about an axis that is parallel to the ground surface and transverse across the slide (fig.

What causes rock slides?

High precipitation, natural erosion, temperature variations or extreme stresses such as earthquakes can trigger rock slides or rock flows. When infrastructure and buildings are hit, the results are often catastrophic.

What is the movement of rock particles called?

the movement of rock particles by wind, water, ice or gravity. type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into peices is called. rock particles carried by wind, water and ice can wear away rocks in the process called. the wearing of rock by a grinding action. water expands when it freezes and acts as a wedge is called.

Why are layers of weak rock cause landslides?

Layers of weak rock, such as clay, also allow more landslides. Wet clay is very slippery, which provides an easy surface for materials to slide over. If people dig into the base of a slope to create a road or a homesite, the slope may become unstable and move downhill.

What is the difference between landslide and mass wasting?

Mass wasting is the downhill movement of rock and soil material due to gravity. The term landslide is often used as a synonym for mass wasting, but mass wasting is a much broader term referring to all movement downslope. Geologically, landslide is a general term for mass wasting that involves fast-moving geologic material.

What happens when you dig into a slope to make a road?

If people dig into the base of a slope to create a road or a homesite, the slope may become unstable and move downhill. This is particularly dangerous when the underlying rock layers slope towards the area ( Figure below ). The slope of underlying materials must be considered when making road cuts.