01:460:202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Subsidence, Mining
• Landslides- definition, causes, and types
o Landslide- down slope movement of rock and soil in response to gravity
▪ Term describes wide variety of processes including falling, sliding, or
flowing
o Causes:
▪ Heavy rain or snowfall
▪ Excavation
▪ Earthquakes
▪ Distinct zones of weakness
o Types of mass movements:
▪ Slide (slump)
▪ Fall
▪ Flow
▪ Subsidence
▪ Avalanche
▪ Creep
• What are the driving mechanisms for landslides?
o Primary driving force is gravity acting on over-steepened slopes
o Other contributing factors:
• Erosion by rivers and waves
• Saturation by snowmelt or heavy rains
• Earthquakes
• Weak soils
• Volcanic eruptions
• Excess weight from human activities
• What criteria are used to classify landslides?
o Geologic conditions in field
• What are the optimal geologic conditions for landslides? How can humans contribute to
initiating landslides?
o Optimal settings:
▪ Base or top of slopes