Landslides

Learning Objectives

Understand basic slope processes and the causes of slope failure

Understand the role of driving and resisting forces on slopes and

how these are related toslope stability

Understand how slope angle and topography, vegetation, water, and

time affect both slope processes and the incidence of landslides

Understand how human use of the land has resulted in landslides

Know methods of identification, prevention, warning, and correction

of landslides

Understand processes related to land subsidence

Mass Wasting
Definition: mass wasting refers to a downslope
movement of rock or soil as a more or less coherent
mass.
Comprehensive term all inclusive term for any
downslope movement of earth materials

Slopes
Weak and Soft Rock
Form slope with 3 segements
Convex upper part
Straight central segment
Concave lower part
Hard Rock
Form free face with talus slope at base

Important types of mass wasting

Slide downslope movement of coherent block of
earth material
Slump is sliding along a curved slip plane
producing slump blocks
Fall rocks fall from vertical face
Flow Downslope movement of unconsolidated
material in which particles move about and mix
within the mass
Subsidence is the sinking of of a mass of earth
material below the level of surrounding material

 Landslides are commonly complex

combinations of slding and flowage
Upper slump block
Lower flow

Forces on Slopes
The stability of a slope expresses the
relationship between resisting forces and
driving forces

 Driving forces forces which move earth

materials downslope
Downslope component of weight of
material including vegetation, fill
material, or buildings
Resisting forces forces which oppose
movement
Resisting forces include strength of
material

Potential Slip Planes

Geologic surfaces of weakness in the slope
material bedding, foliation, fractures

Safety Factor
The ratio of resisting forces to the driving
forces
RF/DF
SF > 1 Slope is stable
SF < 1 Slope is unstable

Factors Affecting Slope Stability

Type of earth material

Slope Angle and Topography
Climate
Vegetation
Water
Time

Rotational Slides
Sliding occurs along a curved slip plane

Translational Slides
Sliding occurs on a planar surface or on a
slip plane

Slump (a type of slide)

Indicators:
Scarp
Hummocky
terrain on and
below
(earthflow)

Slump
scarp

Debris Flow
Debris flows are the downslope flow of relatively
coarse material
> 50% of particles in a debris flow are coarser than
sand
Movement may be very slow or very fast, depending
on topographic conditions
Mudflows, debris avalanches, and debris flows
Small to moderate magnitude events, occasional
large magnitude events

Debris Flow

Rockslide
Rock moves because theres nothing holding it back!
Generally requires a pre-existing low-friction surface...

Rockslide
like a clay layer, once its wet...

Earthquake Lake, MT
28 deaths in 1959, triggered by earthquake

Role of Earth Materials

Slopes formed by weak rocks such as shale
or have thick soil deposits typically fail by
rotational slides
Slopes formed by hard rocks typically fail by
translational slides
Soil slips occur above bedrock and fail by
translational slides

Role of Slope and Topography

Hillslope angle is a measure of the
steepness of a slope = slope gradient
Steeper slope = increased driving forces
Steep slopes associated with rockfalls
Subarid to arid environments

Role of Vegetation
In subhumid to humid environments, vegetation is
thick and abundant
Landslide activity includes deep complex
landslides, earthflows, and soil creep.
Vegetation influences slope stability by:
Providing a cover that cushions the impact of
rain falling on slopes and retards erosion on
surface
Vegetation has root systems that tend to provide
an apparent cohesion which increases
resistance to landsliding
Vegetation adds weight to the slope increasing
the driving forces

Role of Water
Water can affect slope stability by:
Shallow soil slips can develop during
rainstorms when slopes become
saturated
Slumps or translational slides can
develop months or years after slope is
saturated
Water can erode the base or toe of a slope
decreasing slope stability

Role of Climate
Climate influences the amount and timing
of water in the form of water or snow
Influences type and amount of vegetation

Role of Time
Physical and chemical weathering can
weaken slope materials decreasing resisting
forces

Earthflow
basically a very viscous (thick) debris flow
slow-moving
faster in wetter weather

Earthflow

Creep
very slow
result of freezing and thawing

Creep

sands

tone

shale

Creep

from D. Schwert, NDSU

Triggers for rapid Mass Wasting

Rain
Oversteepening
cutting at foot of slope
piling on head of slope
Deforesting / Devegetating
Earthquakes