[landslides : introduction]

A thick, heavy mass of muddy earth and debris slides down a hillside, collapsing an entire slope. The torrent of
soil and water can crush houses, break through strong buildings, and sweep away people in a matter of seconds.
Find out how to prepare, predict, and prevent against these phenomena by clicking on!

[landslides : what's a landslide?]

A landslide is a sudden collapse of a large mass of hillside. There are many different types of landslides, where not
only earth, but rock, mud, and debris flow down the side of a slope. A mudflow occurs when a slope is so heavily
saturated with water that it rushes downhill as a muddy river, carrying down debris and spreading out at the base of
the slope. They are faster than soil creeps but slower than landslides, but the wetter the material, the faster it
moves. Mudflows are the fastest, wettest flows, while the slowest, driest ones are earthflows. Earthflows occur on
clay, silt, or sand slopes, when the wet ground breaks up and falls down a mountainside, making a rounded,
tongue-like shape. Another type of earth movement is the soil creep. Even on very shallow slopes, the loose,
weathered material, or regolith, will eventually move downhill. It absorbs water and swells up, and when the water
evaporates, the soil shrinks and moves downill a little more. Soil creeps are also known as heaves. You can tell
that soil is creeping if you see tilted structures like fences, walls, power lines, and tree trunks.

[landslides : rock avalanches]

Rock avalanches are often caused by earthquakes or by sudden drops in temperature. In a rock slide, fragments
break away from the face of a steep slope and fall down its side. Rock slides are different from rock falls in that
they occur on lower slopes, and usually closer to inhabited areas. The worst such event in North America occurred
on April 28, 1903. 90 million tons of rock were sent down Turtle Mountain in Alberta, Canada. After a period of
warm weather, there was a quick cold spell. Water that had collected in cracks of rock froze, expanded, and
shattered rocks. People 25 miles away were able to hear the sound of rock hurtling downhill at 60 miles per hour.
Chunks of rock, carried in a huge slide of earth, plowing under the Oldman River. The rock avalanche carried
water and parts of the river bottom 400 feet to the opposite side of the valley. When it was all over, the rocks
(some the size of railroad cars) were scattered 65 feet deep over one square mile. The rockslide killed 70 people.

landslides : how do they happen?]

All earth and material on a slope has an “angle of repose,” or an angle at which that material will remain stable.
Loose dry rock remains in place at angles up to 30 degrees, but wet clay will start to slip at more than 1 or 2 degree
inclinations. Landslides are the sudden downhill movements of earth or other solid material, and are usually
caused by rain, thaws, or forces either increasing the top material weight, lubricating the material layers, or making
the slope too steep. They can be triggered by earthquakes, saturation with heavy rain, or crashing waves.

History’s largest and most destructive landslides have been caused by earthquakes that started the material
moving. Excessive rainfall or snowmelt, however, is also known to saturate and lubricate soil on steep angles.
Rapid temperature changes can also cause land to slide by alternately shrinking and expanding soil formations, or
by forming ice heaves between layers of rock. Forest fires are indirectly responsible for landslides because they
take away slope vegetation, making erosion easier. Man can also cause slides by mining the earth, underground
excavation, pumping and draining groundwater levels, or overdeveloping hillsides.
[landslides : prevention]

If you want to avoid being a landslide victim, the easiest thing to do is avoid building on steep slopes or close to
edges of mountains. Don’t build near drainage ways or natural erosion valleys. Also beware of steep or hummocky
slopes. If you are buying a home, look for the signs of weak earth below the structure - doors and windows that
jam easily; cracks in the walls; unstable walls, walks, or stairs; leaking pools; fences or poles that are tilted at odd
angles; and water seepage or bumps of earth at slope bottoms.

If you live in a landslide-threatened area, try not to water the slopes if possible. If there are large rocks on the
slopes above your house, remove them so they can’t do damage in case they fall. It might also be helpful to plant
vegetation on the slopes, so their roots will anchor the soil more firmly. Some people also cover their slopes with
tarps in attempts to prevent the soil from slipping.

[landslides : glossary]

Below are definitions of important landslide terms.

• angle of rest: angle at which material will remain stable

• angle of repose: angle at which material will remain stable
• avalanche: a massive fall of ice and snow
• debris basin: a concrete, bowl-shaped pit built on a mountainside to catch debris from mud
and rock slides
• earthflow: when the wet ground breaks up and falls down a mountainside, making a rounded,
tongue-like shape; usually occurs on clay, silt, or sand; the slowest, driest flow of weathered material
down a hillside
• erosion: the natural wearing away or weathering of rocks or soil
• quicksand: a mass of loose, wet sand that becomes fluid when suddenly vibrated; heavy
objects will sink into it
• landslide: a sudden collapse of a large mass of hillside; the falling of masses of earth or rock
• mass movement: the downhill movement of rock and weathered material
• mudflow: when a slope is so heavily saturated with water that it rushes downhill as a muddy
river, carrying down debris and spreading out at the base of the slope; the fastest, wettest flow of
weathered material down a hillside
• rock fall: when fragments break away from the face of a steep slope and fall
• rock slide: similar to rock falls, except they take place on lower slopes, closer to inhabited
areas, and are thus more dangerous
• sinkholes: rapid and sudden manifestations of subsidence most frequently experienced in areas
underlain by gypsum or limestone substrata
• slumping: the slow and gradual slippage of all layers of soil so that the bottom of a hillside
becomes level with the lowlands or even tipped upward
• soil creep: the gradual downhill slide of weathered material; the slow, gradual movement of a
hill’s upper layers caused by the pull of gravity on loose stones, gravel, and soft topsoil
• subsidence: the vertical fall of earth, usually caused by the loss of underground water or gas
support, sometimes resulting from man-made pumping and sometimes from seismic action