Mass Wasting and Hillslopes

Gravity overcomes Friction

Steep slope Gd > F F F Gp Boulder on verge of moving F Gd Gp W Boulder is stable Gentle slope Gd< F Gp W Gd W Boulder moves downslope

Moderate slope Gd=F

Gd

Sliding Threshold when gravity component = friction component, both parallel to slope component,
Shear Forces are parallel to 2 touching surfaces. If the slab is about to move, then the downhill force = resisting force pointing uphill
Downhill force = mass x gravity x sine of dip

F0 = mg sin (dip)

(1)

E is the same as the dip

dip

F0 = mg sin( )

h mg

Your book uses mg = weight "w"

Downhill force = mass x gravity x sine of dip

F0 = w sin (dip)

(1)

E is the same as the dip

Shear Force = F0 = w sin( )

dip Bloom confuses shear force with shear stress

h w

Stress has units Force/area

mass = V V because V has units mass/volume so F0 = Vg sin( )
If calculated over a unit area, F0 / a "force per unit area"

F0 / a = s = V(V/a) g sin( ) sd' = gh sin( ) (2)

but V/a has units length

when we use the height h as the characteristic length

dip

Equation (2) is the shear stress

Notice Vgh is the potential energy per unit volume sd' is its component along the slope pulling downhill

h mg

Role of water for slabs

Friction Force is proportional to Normal Force It is the amount of Force needed to lift the surfaces apart Increased water pressure between the surfaces lifts the upper slab, and it will slip at a lower dip angle.
dip N

h mg

Water's role for slabs:

Before Fall

Water's role for slabs:

After Fall
Of course, in our area, winter freezing causes frost wedging breaks loose any remaining bonds

Classification of slope movements

Slides Flows

Falls

Slumps (note rotation)

Slow mass movement indicators

Example: Soil Slump

Soil Creep

CD

Scarp

Lobe

DF

Lobe

Scarp CD

Scarp

Signs of Soil Creep

Vertical features (if available) curved near surface

Vertical features exposed in new roadcut

Creep Typical Features

Drunken forest

Solifluction

Wet and Dry

Gelifluction: Freeze

Gelifluction: Thaw

Rapid Mass Movement

Flows: mixture moves downslope as a viscous fluid Slumps: move downslope along a concave slip surface Slides: move downslope along preexisting plane of weakness as a single, intact mass Falls: rock drops from steep slope
http://geology.com/news/2008/spectacular-yosemite-rockfall-and-debris-avalanche-photos.shtml

Rapid Mass Movement

Flows
Flows with a high water content are faster and more dangerous
Debris avalanches- rain- regolith detaches 200 kilometers per hour Lahars Liquifaction- Quick Clay earthquake increased pore water pressure - grains separate - liquefies instantaneously Mudflow swift slurry- heavy rains Earthflows dry masses of clayey regolith
1-2 meters per hour

Debris Avalanche

Yungay Avalanche
Source: Lloyd S. Cluff

Town in Peru Earthquake dislodged Slab ice => landslide

Lahar

http://www.massey.ac.nz/~trauma/is sues/2004sues/2004-1/galley.htm

Liquifaction - Quick Clay

Caused by Earthquakes http://cce.oregonstate.edu/geotech/research.html

Mudflow in Sarno, Italy, 1998

Slumgullion Earthflow
San Juan Mtns, CO Volcanics Dams Lake Fork of the Gunnison

Slides
Slumps Mudslides Rock Slides Avalanche and Debris Slides

www.pdc.org/.../2007/Rio-de-Janeiro/rio.htm

Slump
Slumping and Scarps in Dorset, England These are rotational

Little Hat Mountain Slump, CA

scarp

Toe, no veg.

La Conchita Slump
Typical urban landslide
Preexisting slide masses Development to the edge Lawsuits 9 houses destroyed Property values down

Snow Avalanche

slump scar

Turtle Mountain Debris Slide

Falls: Rockfall

Frost heave, Yosemite NP. Glacier Point climbing area. 1996 Rockfall 162,000162,000-ton granite slab. 160 mph speed. Killed several people.

Angle of Repose
For loose materials, the angle of repose dictates the maximum steepness a material can be arranged before it will move downslope Bloom claims: coarser materials tend to have steeper slopes
Rockfall Talus Slope
http://www.quanterra.org/guide/guide1_5.htm

Angle of Repose depends on particle size and shape?

Is this right? Should we believe this? Do an experiment. What is your null hypothesis?

Slope Stability
Slope characteristics such as composition, vegetation, and water content also influence slope stability. Haiti is plagued by slides after many trees were cut down.

Natural Triggers
Natural triggers such as:
torrential rainstorms 1967 central Brazil Earthquakes 1812 New Madrid, Missouri volcanic eruptions 1980 Mount St. Helens produce damaging mass movements

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/At_least_26_dead_in_China_mudslide_999.html

Human Triggers
excessive irrigation clearclear-cutting of steep slopes slope oversteepening or overloading mining practices can also cause mass movement.