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Types of Mass Wasting

The document outlines the types of mass wasting, categorizing them into slow and rapid processes, with examples such as soil creep, solifluction, mud flow, and landslides. It discusses the causes and effects of these processes on both the physical environment and human activities, highlighting both positive impacts like soil fertility and negative consequences such as property damage and transportation issues. Overall, it emphasizes the significance of understanding mass wasting in relation to environmental management and safety.

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LILIAN
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14 views6 pages

Types of Mass Wasting

The document outlines the types of mass wasting, categorizing them into slow and rapid processes, with examples such as soil creep, solifluction, mud flow, and landslides. It discusses the causes and effects of these processes on both the physical environment and human activities, highlighting both positive impacts like soil fertility and negative consequences such as property damage and transportation issues. Overall, it emphasizes the significance of understanding mass wasting in relation to environmental management and safety.

Uploaded by

LILIAN
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Types of Mass Wasting

1. SLOW MASS WASTING

- Slow but steady movement of soil or loose rock debris down slope.
Processes

a) Soil Creep

- Slow and steady movement of soil and other fine materials along a very gentle slope.
Causes

1) Alternate heating and cooling causing expansion and contraction of particles causing them to change their positions.
2) Alternate wetting and drying of soil whereby when it’s wet its compact and when dry the particles are loosened and tend to move
away from each other.
3) Trampling and burrowing of animals.
4) External forces e.g. shaking by earthquakes, explosives, heavy vehicles, etc.
5) Ploughing down hill
6) Freezing of soil water causing it to expand which lifts particles at right angles to the slope in a process called heaving.
Effects of soil creep

Pushes fence and electric poled downwards making them bend

Soils may accumulate at the road making maintenance costly

Accumulation of soil on the foundation of buildings which may lead to their destruction .

Deep accumulation of soil downs lope making the area suitable for farming

b) Solifluction

- Movement of saturated soil, gravel and weathered rock down a moderate slope.
- Common in mountainous and very cold climates
o Thawing occurs during spring causing top soil to become saturated.
o Saturated soil begins to creep over the subsoil which still remains frozen(permafrost).
c) Talus Creep/scree creep

- Slow and gentle movement of the mass of broken rock particles which accumulate at the base of cliffs (scree) down hill.
d) Rock Creep

- Slow movement of individual rocks which lie on clay at a very low speed down slope in the presence of moisture.
2. RAPID MASS WASTING

- Type of mass wasting involving large amounts of weathered material moving suddenly and fast down slope.
a) Mud Flow

- Movement of oversaturated weathered material inform of liquid down slope.


- It occurs mainly in dry areas after heavy rains.

b) Earth Flow
- Movement of saturated earth material on hill sides down slope.
c) Land Slide

- Sudden slipping of large quantities of loosened surface rock or soil down a slope.
d) Slump

o Erosion occurs on the weak rocks at the base of a cliff undercutting the weak rock.
o The overlying rocks break off causing the overlying rocks to slide down hill rotating around a curved plane.
e) Debris Slide

- Sudden downhill movement of accumulated rock debris and other loose material downhill as a whole

f) Debris fall

- Sudden free fall of debris from a vertical or hanging cliff to the base of the slope.
g) Rock Slide
- Sliding down of masses of rock a steep slope along a bending plane, joint of fault.
h) Rock fall

- Falling or rolling of individual rocks or boulders down a steep slope or a cliff.


- Most rapid of all mass wasting.
h) Avalanche

- Sudden slipping and falling of a large mass of snow, ice and loose rock materials down a mountain side.

Effects of Mass Wasting On Physical and Human Environment

Positive

1. Make the soil to become fertile where soil from fertile areas is deposited.
2. Leads to formation of new land forms such as scars, depressions, lakes, rock pillars, etc.
Negative

1. Soil creep may destroy walls built across the slope when creeping soil exerts pressure on them.
2. Decrease soil fertility where fertile soil moves down slope.
3. Makes the ground prone to soil erosion especially where scars have formed.
4. Hinders transport and communication by blocking railway lines making maintenance to be costly.
5. Hinders mechanisation of agriculture e.g. gulleying does not allow movement of vehicles and machinery on farms.
6. Leads to destruction of property and loss of live by burying people in their houses and stones falling on escarpments along roads
causing accidents.
7. May Cause Rivers to change their courses e.g. mud flow.

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