GEOL105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: La Conchita, California
Document Summary
Mass on a slope is kept in place by a balance of forces. Any change in the forces may destabilize the mass and allow movement. D driving force, parallel to slope. If f > d, slide will not occur. To get slide to occur, f < d: reduce f (ex: add water, or increase d by making slope ( ) steeper. Same forces as slides, but acting on individual particles. Stable slope of loose particles is the angle of repose. Amount of water may increase or decrease angle of repose. Highway and railroad construction had cut into tooe of slide of 3 million year old slide. Houses increase load f decrease vegetation removal. Removal of vegetation (particularly trees) reduces strength by removing. Root cohesion : burrowing animals also reduces cohesion. Shape of the land"s surface may provide evidence of past mass movements. Reduce driving force and/or increase resisting force.
