EARTH121 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Alluvial Fan, Solifluction, Permafrost

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Earth Sciences
• Course: EARTH121
• Professor: John Johnston

Document Summary

Mass wasting: the downslope movement of material due to gravity: does not involve a transporting medium like erosion. Streams and mass wasting are responsible for sculpting the valleys across the landscape. Slopes can change over time, when a slope reaches a certain angle material will slide down it. Gravity is the controlling force of mass wasting. A landslide occurs only when the slope material over time is worn down and becomes susceptible to failure (less stability: as strength is weakened something triggers a landslide/downslope movement. Role of water: large volumes of water due to heavy rains or snowmelt saturate surface material. Saturation reduces the internal strength of the surface and allows materials such as sand and clay to easily slide down the slope: water can also add sufficient mass required for the slope to fail. Over steepened slopes: angle of repose.