1. What is land slide &land slide hazard?

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. The term "landslide" encompasses five modes of slope movement: falls, topples,
slides, spreads, and flows. These are further subdivided by the type of geologic material (bedrock,
debris, or earth). Debris flows (commonly referred to as mudflows or mudslides) and rock falls are
examples of common landslide types.

The term landslide or, less frequently, landslip refers to several forms of mass wasting that may include
a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris
flows, Landslides occur in a variety of environments, characterized by either steep or gentle slope
gradients, from mountain ranges to coastal cliffs or even underwater in which case they are called
submarine landslides. Gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, but there are other
factors affecting slope stability that produce specific conditions that make a slope prone to failure. In
many cases, the landslide is triggered by a specific event (such as a heavy rainfall, an earthquake, a slope
cut to build a road, and many others), although this is not always identifiable.

Land slide hazard also,refers to the potential for the occurrence of a damaging slope failure within a
given area and in a given period.

Landslides include a wide range of phenomena involving downslope ground movement, such as
rockfalls, deep slope failure, shallow debris flows, and avalanches. Gravity acting on a slope is
the primary cause of landslides, but there are other important and dynamic factors that serve as
triggers.

 Saturation of slopes by precipitation (rain or snowmelt) weakens soil and rock by

reducing cohesion and increasing the pressure in pore spaces, pushing grains away from
each other.
 Erosion and undercutting of slopes by streams, rivers, glaciers, or waves increase slope
angles and decrease slope stability.
 Earthquakes create stresses that weaken slopes and physically cause slope movement.
 Perhaps most significant from a management perspective, the over weighting, and/or
under cutting of slopes for facilities, roads, trails, mines, and other man-made structures
change the natural slope equilibrium and cause slopes to fail.

2.Where &how land slide will occur?

 Landslides are associated with hilly or mountainous landscapes. They are also common
along coastlines and river valleys.
 Landslides occur most frequently in regions where climate and precipitation, bedrock and
soil conditions, and slopes are susceptible to failure.
 Within the United States, landslide-prone regions include the Western Coast Ranges, the
Cascades volcanic region, large portions of the central and northern Rocky Mountain
 region, the Appalachian region, and in many areas along the Mississippi River and its
tributaries (below is a map of landslide hazard-prone areas within the United States).
 Major disasters associated with landslides have occurred in many other regions of the
world including the Andes Mountains of South America, through the volcanic island
chains of the southern and western Pacific Basin (throughout the region known as the
“Ring of Fire”), and in the tropical regions of Central America. Avalanches occur in all
high mountainous regions of the world—too often with deadly results. Many of these
landslide, debris flow, and debris flood events are associated with tropical storms
(hurricanes and typhoons) and volcanic eruptions.

Landslides are mostly likely to occur in areas where they have already occurred in the past.
In many cases, the landscape features surrounding a location where recent landslide catastrophes
have occurred provide evidence of past and ongoing landslide activity. Landsliding is part of the
processes behind the evolution of the landscape. The history of landslide activity in any region
through time can often be deciphered on scales ranging from decades to many thousands or even
millions of years.

Landslides are caused by disturbances in the natural stability of a slope. They can accompany heavy
rains or follow droughts, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. Mudslides develop when water rapidly
accumulates in the ground and results in a surge of water-saturated rock, earth, and debris

3.Couse of land slide?

Landslides have three major causes: geology, morphology, and human activity.

Geology refers to characteristics of the material itself. The earth or rock might be weak or
fractured, or different layers may have different strengths and stiffness.

Morphology refers to the structure of the land. For example, slopes that lose their vegetation to
fire or drought are more vulnerable to landslides. Vegetation holds soil in place, and without the
root systems of trees, bushes, and other plants, the land is more likely to slide away.

A classic morphological cause of landslides is erosion, or weakening of earth due to water.

Human activity, such as agriculture and construction, can increase the risk of a landslide.
Irrigation, deforestation, excavation, and water leakage are some of the common activities that
can help destabilize, or weaken, a slope

Landslides are caused by disturbances in the natural stability of a slope. They can accompany heavy
rains or follow droughts, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. Mudslides develop when water rapidly
accumulates in the ground and results in a surge of water-saturated rock, earth, and debris. Mudslides
usually start on steep slopes and can be activated by natural disasters. Areas where wildfires or human
modification of the land have destroyed vegetation on slopes are particularly vulnerable to landslides
during and after heavy rains.
 Gravity: Gravity works more effectively on steeper slopes, but more gradual slopes may also
be vulnerable. 2. Geological factors: Many slides occur in a geologic setting that places
permeable sands and gravels above impermeable layers of silt and clay, or bedrock. Water seeps
downward through the upper materials and accumulates on the top of the underlying units,
forming a zone of weakness.
 3. Heavy and prolonged rainfall: storm water runoff saturates soils on steep slopes or
infiltration causes a rapid rise in groundwater levels. As water tables rise, some slopes become
unstable that cause landslide. 4. Earthquakes: When plate tectonics move the soil that covers
moves with it. When earthquakes occur on areas with steep slopes, many times the soil slips
causing landslides. Furthermore, ashen debris flows caused by earthquakes can also trigger mass
movement of soil.
.Forest fire: fires cause soil erosion and induce floods and landslides due to the destruction of the
natural vegetation

There are a few reasons as to why the ground may fail and cause a landslide, but one of the main causes
is groundwater. Rising water tables and increased water pressures are contributory to most slope
failures; the majority of landslides occur during or shortly after significant rainstorms. Slopes that are
exposed to the elements which have not been reinforced are most at risk of failing.

4.Factor of land slide?

The extrinsic factors mainly include extreme rainfall, earthquake and volcanic events while intrinsic
factors include elevation, the types of slopes, vegetation cover, soil properties and other different
human activities that modify the land cover and land use patterns such as deforestation, road
construction .

The primary external factors that can trigger a landslide include: (1) weathering of rock strata;
(2) increased pore water pressure, such as the infiltration of rainwater or rise of groundwater
surface; (3) increased loading by, for example, rainfall, accumulated snow or flourish vegetation;
(4) the supporting forces.

The internal factors of landslide formation are related to the soil and rock materials, including (1)
soft and weak rock properties or rock strata with multiple joints or shear fracture zone; (2)
geological structure; (3) topography; (4) vegetation. All of these can reduce the binding or
frictional force of rock particles.

The primary external factors that can trigger a landslide include: (1) weathering of rock strata;
(2) increased pore water pressure, such as the infiltration of rainwater or rise of groundwater
surface; (3) increased loading by, for example, rainfall, accumulated snow or flourish vegetation;
(4) the supporting forces of toe have been removed by, for example, weathering, erosion, early
landslide or faulting; (5) collapse of underlying strata; (6) an increase in lateral pressure, such as
rock fissure, freezing water; expansion of clay materials and so on; (7) earthquakes and
vibrations; (8) torrential rains; (9) other factors, such as site subsidence resulted from limestone
cave.
Some of external landslide triggering factors are counted as human factors. For example, remove
a portion of slope toe (the slope can become steeper); build houses on the slope (the building can
increase the slope loading); and pile up man-made wastes (increase the driving force of materials
on the slope). Besides, an inappropriately selected site can also affect the slope stability and
trigger a landslide. For example, construct a road on top of or below the slope; or prepare the site
to have a flat land.

5.How to reduce the effect of land slide ?

There are also various direct methods of preventing landslides; these include modifying slope
geometry, using chemical agents to reinforce slope material, installing structures such as piles
and retaining walls, grouting rock joints and fissures, diverting debris pathways, and rerouting
surface and underwater drainage.

Landslides pose a recurrent hazard to human life and livelihood in most parts of the world,
especially in some regions that have experienced rapid population and economic growth.
Hazards are mitigated mainly through precautionary means—for instance, by restricting or even
removing populations from areas with a history of landslides, by restricting certain types of land
use where slope stability is in question, and by installing early warning systems based on the
monitoring of ground conditions such as strain in rocks and soils, slope displacement, and
groundwater levels. There are also various direct methods of preventing landslides; these include
modifying slope geometry, using chemical agents to reinforce slope material, installing
structures such as piles and retaining walls, grouting rock joints and fissures, diverting debris
pathways, and rerouting surface and underwater drainage. Such direct methods are constrained
by cost, landslide magnitude and frequency, and the size of human settlements at risk