GEO 120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Granular Material, Slope Stability, Shear Stress

• School: URI
• Department: Geosciences
• Course: GEO 120
• Professor: Elizabeth Laliberte

Document Summary

Geo 120 - lecture 22 - mass movements - elizabeth laliberte. Rock or sediment moved down slope by force of gravity. Slope stability is a balance between downslope forces and resisting forces. Normal force- at a right angle to the slope. Angle of repose - maximum angle at which granular material of a given size that is stable. Falls: sediment and rock that move through the air and accumulate at the base of a slope. Slides: movements of rock or sediment along planar surfaces. Flows: plastic semi-liquid movements of rock and sediment in either air or water. Granular flows - grain to grain contact. Extremely slow downslope movement of soil and rock under the influence of gravity. Weathered regolith on gentle to moderately steep slopes may form as the toe of a rotational slide. Small disturbance sends the unconsolidated grains moving rapidly down.