Factors affecting slope processes

Internal Factors External Factors

• Slope angle/ relief • Earthquakes (Tectonic

• Lithology of the activity)
materials on the slope • Volcanic activity
• Ground water or rain • Human influence
water (run off)
• Climate
• Vegetation
• Geological Structures
 Internal Causes
• Influence of slope- Provides favourable condition for landslides; steeper slope
are prone to slippage of land. It is known that most of the materials are
stable up to certain angle- “Critical angle” or “angle of repose” –

• it varies from 300 for unconsolidated sediments, up to 900 for massive rocks
and 600-900 for partially jointed rocks.

• Ground water or associated water- is one of the main factors responsible for
slippage. Suppose the hard or massive rocks are underlain by softer rocks
(shale or clay bed)…

• When rain water percolates through some fractures or joints the clayey beds
becomes very plastic and acts as slippery base, which enhance the chances
of loose overburden to slip downward.

• Water is the most powerful solvent, which not only causes decomposition of
minerals but also leaches out the soluble matter of the rock and reduces the
strength.
• Lithology- rock which are rich in clay
(montmorillonite, bentonite), mica, calcite,
gypsum etc are prone to landslide because
these minerals are prone to weathering.

• Geological structures- Occurrence of

inclined bedding planes, joints, fault or
shear zone are the planes of weakness,
which create conditions of instability.
Crystals of clay mineral (Kaolinite)
under SEM

• Sheet Cleavage: Clay also

has sheet cleavage, which
enhance it capability of
absorb water between the
sheets making the wet clay
weaker, slippery and easy to
mold
JN Malik
• Role of climate:
• Climatic fluctuations or seasonal variations have direct effect on
the erosion and weathering of material on slope

• Role of Vegetation:
• Vegetation plays important role in slope stability
• Thick vegetation cover protects the slope from direct impact of
rain water
• Root system provides indirect cohesion to the slope material
• Thick vegetation adds extra weight to the slope – can trigger
shallow soil slip on steep slopes
• Deforestation in the uplands, result into more erosion during the
rainy season
External factors
• Human Influence-
undercutting along the hill
slopes for laying roads or
rail tracks can result into
instability.
December 7, 1988, a magnitude 6.9
• Most common is the earthquake shook northwestern Armenia
vibration resulted due to
earthquakes; blasting to
explosives; volcanic
eruption etc.

• Earthquakes often initiate

mass failures on large scale
eg. 1897 Assam quake
produced gigantic landslide
ever recorded in the region.
Photo showing effect of Mudflow (Lahars)
triggered by Volcanic eruption and Snow melt in
1985. Destroyed the town of Armero, Colombia
Mudflow (Lahars) triggered by
Volcanic eruption and Snow
melt in 1985. Destroyed the
town of Armero, Colombia
LANDSLIDES in Uttarkashi (1991)
• An image acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection
Radiometer on NASA's Terra spacecraft on October 11, 2005, depicts a 30-kilometer
wide region southeast of the epicenter of the magnitude 7.6 Pakistan earthquake on
October 8, 2005, between Muzaffarabad and Uri in the Pir Punjal range of Kashmir.
• Massive landslide around Muzaffarabad and Balakot region. Region
comprised of limestone which is highly friable when subjected to weathering
Good Friday earthquake on March 27, 1964, Alaska
• The area had sand and gravel
succession overlying a marine clay

• The upper clay layers were

relatively stiff, but the lower layers
consisted of a sensitive clay

• The slide moved about 610 m

toward the ocean, breaking up into
a series of blocks.

• The blocks rotating near the front

of the slide, eventually sealed off
the sensitive clay layer preventing
further extrusion.

• Movements along blocks resulted

into formation of pull-apart basins
Landslide at Las Colinas, San Salvador,
triggered by the Jan 2001 earthquake
 Classification of Landslide
• Most widely used classification is of D. J. Varnes (1978)

• Varnes (1978) classified landslides on the basis of the

type of movement and type of material involved in mass
movement

Landslides or Mass Movements

Fall Slides Earth Flow

Subsidence
Slides
 Slides
• If a mass of earth moves along a definite plane or
surface the failure is termed as Landslide

• Movement may be along one or more planes

• Where during movement the moving mass may

experience considerable deformation

• The most common slide occurs in clayey soil where slip

plane is like a “ spoon ” shape – are referred as
‘Rotational Slides’
 ROTATIONAL SLIDES

• Results from the tensional

scars in the upper part of
the slope

• Common after earthquakes

or after removal of part of
the slope due to
construction, particularly
for construction of roads.
• In rotational slide material
moves suddenly along a
curvilinear plane. It is also
referred as a slump.

• Earthslumps:
• Earthslumps are defined
as non-bedrock deposits
that move downward on a
rotational failure plane
Rotational slide
• During the movement
landslide can result into
• Debris slides – are
failure of unconsolidated
material on a surface

• Rock slide or Rock Fall –

movement of large rock
block rolls

• They are also common

along the steep slopes,
along steep road
cuttings, steep river
banks, lakes etc.
 Translational slides
• Movement parallel to
planes of weakness
and occasionally
parallel to slope.

• Occur in inclined,
stratified deposits

Bedding planes
• Rockspreads: are defined as blocks or slabs of bedrock that
move laterally without a well-defined basal shear surface.
• Lateral-spreading may develop in finer unconsolidated
sediments like clay, silt and sand, it is mainly due to
increase in pore water pressure at relatively shallow depth
Ponding due to landslides
~1978 2000