EPSC 181 Study Guide - Granular Material, Landslide, Solifluction
Document Summary
Mass movement occur when the force of gravity exceeds the strength of the slope material. On a slope, gravity has two components, one at right angles to the slop, the stay force, and the other parallel to the slop, the go force. Stay force - internal resistance to movement. A slide is the downslope movement of earth materials under the influence of gravity while a flow is when materials move like a viscous fluid. Slurry flows are moving mass of water saturated material while granular flow is not saturated with water, instead the weight of the flowing sediment is supported by contact or collision with grains. Example of slurry flows include solifluction, debris flows and mudflows while granular flow examples include creep, earthflow and debris avalanche. During the summer the surface layer of ice melts creating a water-saturated layer taht becomes movile.