The angle of

repose of a
mound of particles
increases as the
size of the
particles increases
and as their
shapes become
more angular.

The angle of
repose depends on
the amount of
moisture between
the particles. Moist
sand sticks
together, so it can
have vertical sides,
whereas water-
saturated sand
flows to a thin lens
(from Press &
Siever 2000 and
Grotzinger et al.
2007).
Geología, S. Rosas

Molecules in the interior of a liquid are

attracted in all directions, but mollecules at
the surface have a net inward attraction that
results in surface tension (from Press &
Siever 2000 and Grotzinger et al 2007)).
Surface tension causes a paper clip to
float on water; the water surface behaves
as if it were an elastic membrane,
preventing the clip from falling into the
liquid (from Press & Siever 2000 and
Grotzinger et al 2007)).
Geología, S. Rosas

1
 In an unsuturated soil, the
surface tension of a thin film of
water adhering to particles
binds them so that they resist
movement. When the soil is
saturated, water fills all the pore
spaces, keeping particles apart
and allowing them to flow (from
Press & Siever 2000).

Geología, S. Rosas

Right: Landslide at Turnagain Heights,

Alaska, triggered by the earthquake of 1964.
Below: Cross sections of the bluffs at
Anchorage, Alaska, before and after the
earthquake (from Press & Siever 2000 and
Grotzinger et al. 2007).

Geología, S. Rosas

2
 Clasificació
Clasificación de los movimientos de masas
Velocidad
Material Naturaleza
Pre- del Lenta Moderada Rápida
dominante Movimiento (1 cm/año (1 Km/hora (5 Km/hora
o menos) o más) o más)
Avalancha de
Fluido
roca
Roca
Deslizamiento Deslizamiento
Caída de roca
o caída de roca

Flujo de
Arrastre y tierra, flujo Avalancha de
Fluido Flujo de lodo
Solifluxión de escombros
No escombros
Consolidado
Deslizamiento
Hundimiento Deslizamiento de escombros
o caída

Geología, S. Rosas

Left: In a rockfall, individual

blocks plummet in a free fall
from a cliff or steep
mountainside. Right: Rockfall,
Zion National Park, Utah (from
Press & Siever 2000 and
Grotzinger et al. 2007).

Geología, S. Rosas

3
Geología, S. Rosas

Geología, S. Rosas

4
 Left: In a rockslide, large masses of bedrock move more or less as a unit in a
fast downward slide. Right: Elephant Rock, Yosemite National Park (from Press
& Siever 2000 and Grotzinger et al. 2007).
Geología, S. Rosas

Above: In a rock avalanche,

large masses of broken rocky
material flow, rather than slide,
downward at high velocity. Right:
Rock avalanch across the Black
Rapid Galcier (from Grotzinger et
al. 2007).
Geología, S. Rosas

5
Left: Creep is the downhill movement of soil or other debris at a rate ranging
between about 1 to 10 mm/year. Right: A fence offset by creep in Marin County,
California (from Grotzinger et al. 2007).

Geología, S. Rosas

Geología, S. Rosas

6
Above: An earthflow is a movement of
relatively fine grained materials that travel as
fast as a few kilometers per hour. Right:
Earthflow, Hogan Creek, Denali National
Park, Alaska (from Grotzinger et al. 2007).
Geología, S. Rosas

Geología, S. Rosas

7
 Above: A mudflow contains large
quantities of water, and many such flows
move at a rate of several kilometers per
houe. Mudflows tends to move faster
than earthflows. Right: An earthquake in
Tadzhikistan in January 1989 produced
15 m-high mudflows on slopes weakened
by rain (from Grotzinger et al. 2007).
Geología, S. Rosas

Above: A debris avalanche is the fastest

unconsolidated flow, owing to the high water
content and movement down steep slopes.
Right: In 1970, an earthquake-induced debris
avalanche on Mount Huascarán, buried the
towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca. The
avalanche traveled 17 km at a speed of 289
km/hour and is estimated to have consisted of
up to 100 million cubic meters of water, mud,
and rocks. The death toll from the earthquake
and landslide was 66700 persons (from
Grotzinger et al. 2007).
Geología, S. Rosas

8
Geología, S. Rosas

Geología, S. Rosas

9
Cross sections of the 1925 Gros Ventre slide (from Grotzingert et al 2007).

Geología, S. Rosas

Stages in theevolution of a
river valley dammed by a
landslide (from Press & Siever
2000).

Geología, S. Rosas

10