ENVS10001 Natural Environments

Main ideas - sequential landscapes

• Volcanic and tectonic landforms are constructed by internal Earth processes

- they are ‘initial’ landforms

• Initial landforms are altered by external processes to give sequential

landscapes

• We interact with initial landforms as do landscape processes

• Weathering alters rock structure and is a key landscape process

• Weathering has resulted in many of the features we see today in both the
built and natural environment

• A key erosional process associated with gravity is mass wasting

Landscape processes Sequential landscapes Chapter 10 Visualising Physical Geography

1 2

Common landscape processes

• Acting inside the Earth

• Acting at the Earths surface

• Volcanic
• Weathering

• Tectonic
• Mass Movement

• Erosion via

• Aeolian

• Glacial

• Fluvial

Understanding The processes shaping this

sequential landscape are likely
• Marine

landscape processes to be?

3
• Ground water (karst)
4

3 4
 Tectonic landforms
Volcanic landforms Drivers of change
Landforms
Matter and energy flow systems

• Solar energy input

• Influences climate - evaporation from the oceans, precipitation as rain,

snow or ice

• Radioactive disintegration within the Earth

• Causes convection - plate movement and uplift of mountains (amongst

other things)

• Each process involves dissipation of potential energy

5 6

New surface Weathering

• The changes that occur when a rock is exposed at the Earths surface

• Many rocks, especially igneous rocks, contain minerals which are not stable
under cool, low pressure, wet, slightly acidic conditions

• Physical processes will affect the rock structure

• Rocks will react chemically to form new stable minerals - the secondary
minerals
Old surface
100 km

Dissipation of energy -
Source: Strahler and Strahler
erosion 7 8

7 8
 Physical weathering processes

• Only breaks up the rock – no changes to components/minerals - does not

require water. Agents can be:

• Removal of pressure (unloading)

• Heating

• Freezing/thawing

• Abrasion (water, wind, ice)

• Salt crystal growth

• Plant roots

Exfoliation and Unloading

9 10

9 10

Sandstone shattered as
2006/7 fires, north-east Victoria
Heating/contracting - desert climate (BW)
11
a result of fire 12

11 12
Ice - Freezing/thawing and Abrasion Water - Abrasion
13 14

13 14

Plant roots

• Plants can grow in a thin layer of soil

• As roots grow they further weaken the weathering rock

• Root respiration (chemical process) aids this

Salt catalysed
Tessellated pavement, Tasmania
weathering 15 16

15 16
 Chemical weathering

• Chemical weathering is enabled by water:

• acts as bathing solution

• drives chemical reactions like: hydrolysis; dissolution; oxidation/reduction

• sustains plant life which can increase rates of weathering plant roots -
physical and chemical

• sustains lichens - chelating agents CO2 from microbial respiration -

carbonic acid

Shrub growing on weathered rock

17 18

17 18

Basalt Iron oxides

Hornblende Feldspar
Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2 KAlSi3O8

Quartz
SiO2
Olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4
Biotite
-> Iron Minerals + SiO2 + Mg2+
K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(OH)2

Oxidation of basalt Oxidation of granite

19 20

19 20
Fate of weathering
products Main types of mass wasting
• Soil formation - in situ
• Soil Creep - years

• Erosion and deposition with soil • Earthflow and slump - hours

formed on the loose sediments

• Landslide - seconds

• Erosion and deposition (marine or

otherwise) – subsequent pressure
gives rise to sedimentary rock
• Rock fall - seconds
Landslide_03 (color logo) 1/16/03 2:20 PM Page 2

• Erosive processes dominated by

gravity are collectively known as
‘mass wasting’

21 22
Titled tree.............................................................................Displaced gutters...................................................................................Cracks in road......................................................

21 22
C ommon landslide types I ndicators of poten
• Saturated ground
• New cracks and s
• Movement of anc
to a house.
• Sticking doors an
jambs and frames
• Tilting or cracking
• Broken water line
• Leaning telephon
• Offset fence lines
• Sunken or displac
• Rapid increase in
Creep - gradual movement of slope materials. increased turbidit

Bedding of sedimentary rock Slide - movement parallel to planes of weakness

and occasionally parallel to slope.

Topple - the end-over-end motion of rock

down a slope.

Slump - complex movement of materials on a

Mass wasting shapes Forms of mass wasting: slope; includes rotational slump.

Force associated with gravity

Slope, gravity and water
landscapes 23
Soil creep exceeds friction - freeze thaw
24
Above: AUSTRALIAN LAN

23 24 A ustralian Lands
Flow - viscous to fluid-like motion of debris,
often channelled. In comparison to many o
activity. Generally we rec
 • Tilting or cracking of concrete floors and foundations.
• Broken water lines and other underground utilities.
• Leaning telephone poles, trees, retaining walls or fences.
• Offset fence lines.
• Sunken or displaced road surfaces.
• Rapid increase in creek water levels, possibly accompanied by
Creep - gradual movement of slope materials. increased turbidity (soil content).
Topple - the end-over-end motion of rock
down a slope.

Slump - complex movement of materials on a

Slide - movement parallel to planes of weakness slope; includes rotational slump.
and occasionally parallel to slope.

Above: AUSTRALIAN LANDSLIDE SITES

A ustralian Landslides – Where do they occur?

Flow - viscous to fluid-like motion of debris,
often channelled. In comparison to many other countries, Australia is subject to minimal landslide
activity. Generally we receive little rainfall and the landscape has minimal relief
Topple - the end-over-end motion of rock being free from the processes of uplift. There are however, isolated areas affected by
down a slope. landslides, these commonly have cliffs or steep colluvial deposits and receive
intense rainfall events. Areas include:
▲ (Images reproduced with the kind permission of
British Columbia Geological Survey Ministry of • coastal cliffs,
Fall - material free falls. Energy and Mines). • Great Dividing Range,
• Strzelecki and Otway Ranges of Victoria,
Slump - complex movement of materials on a • Mt Lofty Ranges near Adelaide SA, and
Below: Thredbo landslide, July 1997.
slope; includes rotational slump. • Tamar Valley and north-west coast of Tasmania.

More localised areas also include the Illawarra Escarpment near Wollongong, the
‘northern beaches’area of Sydney, the Lake Macquarie and Newcastle suburbs in
Above: A U S T R A L I A N L A N D S LNSW
I D Eand
S Ithe
T ETownsville,
S Cairns and Mt. Tambourine areas in Queensland.

M inimising the effects – Landslide survival &

property protection
Forms of mass wasting: Forms of mass wasting: Saturated materials flow
Planners and managers:
Buchan, East Gippsland, Victoria
Slump 25
Australian Landslides
Earthflow downslope
– Where do they occur? Some local governments and land managers have learned from past tragic events
and now impose stringent planning and design requirements in landslide-prone and
unstable areas. These include: 26
Flow - viscous to fluid-like motion of debris,
often channelled. In comparison to many other countries, Australia ofisregional
• Implementation subjecthazard
to minimal
and risk landslide
assessments into land planning
policies. This
activity. Generally we receive little rainfall and ensures that appropriate
the landscape processes relief
has minimal are in place whereby new
development applications are assessed with respect to slope stability issues
being free from the processes of uplift. There are however, isolated areas affected by
25 landslides, these commonly have cliffs
26
and zoning for future development is directed towards areas with a low or
veryorlowsteep
risk ofcolluvial deposits and receive
slope instability.
intense rainfall events. Areas include:
• Engineering and geotechnical investigations that define the landslide threat
▲ (Images reproduced with the kind permission of at site specific levels of investigation.
British Columbia Geological Survey Ministry of • coastal cliffs,
Fall - material free falls. • Mapping of landslide vulnerability that can help with the development of
Energy and Mines). • Great Dividing Range, emergency response scenarios.
• Strzelecki and Otway Ranges of Victoria,
• Mt Lofty Ranges near Adelaide SA, and
Below: Thredbo landslide, July 1997. S A F E R S U S T A I N A B L E C O M M U N I T •I ETamar
S Valley and
S Pnorth-west
A T I A Lcoast
IN of FTasmania.
ORMATION FOR THE NATION

More localised areas also include the Illawarra Escarpment near Wollongong, the
‘northern beaches’area of Sydney, the Lake Macquarie and Newcastle suburbs in
NSW and the Townsville, Cairns and Mt. Tambourine areas in Queensland.

La M
nd inimising the effects – Landslide survival &

slid
property protection

e Planners and managers:

Some local governments and land managers have learned from past tragic events
and now impose stringent planning and design requirements in landslide-prone and
unstable areas. These include:
• Implementation of regional hazard and risk assessments into land planning
policies. This ensures that appropriate processes are in place whereby new
development applications are assessed with respect to slope stability issues
and zoning for future development is directed towards areas with a low or
very low risk of slope instability.
• Engineering and geotechnical investigations that define the landslide threat
at site specific levels of investigation.
• Mapping of landslide vulnerability that can help with the development of
emergency response scenarios.

Forms of mass wasting: Very fast flow, often caused by

S A F E R S U S T A I N A B L E
earthquakes C O M M U N I T I E S Landslip
S P A T I A L I N F O R M A T I O N Murchison
F O R T HGap,
E N Victoria
ATION
Landslide 27 28

27 28
 Topple - the end-over-end motion of rock
down a slope.

Slump - complex movement of materials on a

slope; includes rotational slump.

Above: AUSTRALIAN LANDSLIDE SITES

A ustralian Landslides – Where do they occur?

Flow - viscous to fluid-like motion of debris,
often channelled. In comparison to many other countries, Australia is subject to minimal landslide
activity. Generally we receive little rainfall and the landscape has minimal relief
being free from the processes of uplift. There are however, isolated areas affected by
landslides, these commonly have cliffs or steep colluvial deposits and receive
intense rainfall events. Areas include:
▲ (Images reproduced with the kind permission of
British Columbia Geological Survey Ministry of • coastal cliffs,
Fall - material free falls. Energy and Mines). • Great Dividing Range,
• Strzelecki and Otway Ranges of Victoria,
• Mt Lofty Ranges near Adelaide SA, and
Below: Thredbo landslide, July 1997.
• Tamar Valley and north-west coast of Tasmania.

More localised areas also include the Illawarra Escarpment near Wollongong, the
‘northern beaches’area of Sydney, the Lake Macquarie and Newcastle suburbs in
NSW and the Townsville, Cairns and Mt. Tambourine areas in Queensland.

M inimising the effects – Landslide survival &

property protection
Planners and managers:
Some local governments and land managers have learned from past tragic events
and now impose stringent planning and design requirements in landslide-prone and
unstable areas. These include:
• Implementation of regional hazard and risk assessments into land planning
policies. This ensures that appropriate processes are in place whereby new
development applications are assessed with respect to slope stability issues

Forms of mass wasting:

and zoning for future development is directed towards areas with a low or
very low risk of slope instability.
• Engineering and geotechnical investigations that define the landslide threat
Niagara river, NY state, USA
Rock fall 29
One more piece
at site specific levels of investigation.
of information
• Mapping of landslide vulnerability that can help with the development of
emergency response scenarios. 30

29 S A F E R S U S T A I N A B L E C O M M U N I T I E S SPATIAL INFORMATION FOR THE NATION 30

Sedimentary erosion surface 360 Ma

Joints
3000 Granite weathers fastest on
corners, then on edges and
slowest on faces

2000
Pluton or Batholith

1000 Present
day

m ASL
Joints allow entry of water and air

Sequence for exposure Spheroidal weathering

Also called exfoliation or onion
of intrusive rock 31
of granite weathering 32

31 32
 Erosion of overlying sediments

Weathering of granitic rock

Uplift

Mass wasting

Deposition

Landscape process -
Aeolian processes Fraser Island, Queensland
granite country 33 34

33 34

Glacial processes Isle of Skye, UK Fluvial process Niagara Falls, USA

35 36

35 36
 Karst processes The Burren, Clare county, Ireland Marine processes Twelve Apostles, Victoria
37 38

37 38

Geomorphic regions of
Victoria 39

39