Landslides

Learning Objectives
• Understand basic slope processes and the causes of slope
failure

• Understand the role of driving and resisting forces on slopes

and how these are related to slope stability

• Understand how slope angle and topography, vegetation,

water, and time affect both slope processes and the incidence
of landslides

• Understand how human use of the land has resulted in

landslides

• Know methods of identification, prevention, warning, and

correction of landslides

• Understand processes related to land subsidence

 Mass Wasting

• Definition: mass wasting refers to a downslope

movement of rock or soil as a more or less coherent
mass.
• Comprehensive term – all inclusive term for any
downslope movement of earth materials
 Slopes

• Weak and Soft Rock

– Form slope with 3 segements
• Convex upper part
• Straight central segment
• Concave lower part

• Hard Rock
– Form free face with talus slope at base
 Slope Processes

Cliff
Face

Talus Slope
(rock fall debris)

Hard Granite

Soil
Convex Slope

Straight Slope

Concave Slope

Weak Rock Note – the slopes on this figure in your

GLG 110 Fall 2003 text are mislabeled!
 Important types of mass wasting

• Slide – downslope movement of coherent block of

earth material
• Slump – is sliding along a curved slip plane
producing slump blocks
• Fall – rocks fall from vertical face
• Flow – Downslope movement of unconsolidated
material in which particles move about and mix
within the mass
• Subsidence is the sinking of of a mass of earth
material below the level of surrounding material
• Landslides are commonly complex
combinations of slding and flowage
– Upper slump block
– Lower flow
 Forces on Slopes

• The stability of a slope expresses the

relationship between resisting forces and
driving forces
• Driving forces – forces which move earth
materials downslope
– Downslope component of weight of
material including vegetation, fill
material, or buildings

• Resisting forces – forces which oppose

movement
– Resisting forces include strength of
material
 Slope Stability

Driving forces move Resisting forces oppose

material down the slope downward movement
(Most common = weight of (Most common = strength of
slope material, vegetation, slope material)
and structures on slope)

Driving Forces and Resisting

Forces Friction

Weight
of Upward
Materia force of
l supportin
Gravity
GLG 110 Fall 2003
Image: University of Minnesota
 Potential Slip Planes

• Geologic surfaces of weakness in the slope

material – bedding, foliation, fractures
 Slope Stability
• Slope stability is evaluated by computing
safety factor
• Safety Factor = ratio of resisting forces to
driving forces
Resisting Forces
S.F. =
Driving Forces

– If S.F. > 1 the resisting forces are stronger and

the slope is stable
– If S.F. < 1 the driving forces are stronger and the
slope is unstable

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Safety Factor

• The ratio of resisting forces to the driving

forces
– RF/DF
SF > 1 Slope is stable
SF < 1 Slope is unstable
 Factors Affecting Slope Stability

• Type of earth material

• Slope Angle and Topography
• Climate
• Vegetation
• Water
• Time
 Rotational Slides

• Sliding occurs along a curved slip plane

 Translational Slides

• Sliding occurs on a planar surface or on a

slip plane
 Slump (a type of slide)

• Indicators:
– Scarp
– “Hummocky”
terrain on and
below
(earthflow)
 Slump

scarp
 Debris Flow

• Debris flows are the downslope flow of relatively

coarse material
• > 50% of particles in a debris flow are coarser than
sand
• Movement may be very slow or very fast, depending
on topographic conditions

• Mudflows, debris avalanches, and debris flows

• Small to moderate magnitude events, occasional
large magnitude events
Debris Flow
 Rockslide
• Rock moves because there’s nothing holding it back!
• Generally requires a pre-existing low-friction surface...
 Rockslide
• like a clay layer, once it’s wet...
 “Earthquake Lake”, MT
• 28 deaths in 1959, triggered by earthquake
 Role of Earth Materials

• Slopes formed by weak rocks such as shale

or have thick soil deposits typically fail by
rotational slides
• Slopes formed by hard rocks typically fail
by translational slides
• Soil slips occur above bedrock and fail by
translational slides
 Role of Slope and Topography

• Hillslope angle is a measure of the

steepness of a slope = slope gradient
• Steeper slope = increased driving forces
• Steep slopes associated with rockfalls
• Subarid to arid environments
 Role of Vegetation

• In subhumid to humid environments, vegetation is

thick and abundant
• Landslide activity includes deep complex
landslides, earthflows, and soil creep.
• Vegetation influences slope stability by:
– Providing a cover that cushions the impact of
rain falling on slopes and retards erosion on
surface
– Vegetation has root systems that tend to provide
an apparent cohesion which increases
resistance to landsliding
– Vegetation adds weight to the slope increasing
the driving forces
 Role of Water

• Water can affect slope stability by:

– Shallow soil slips can develop during
rainstorms when slopes become
saturated
– Slumps or translational slides can
develop months or years after slope is
saturated
– Water can erode the base or toe of a slope
decreasing slope stability
 Role of Climate

• Climate influences the amount and timing

of water in the form of water or snow
• Influences type and amount of vegetation
 Role of Time

• Physical and chemical weathering can

weaken slope materials decreasing resisting
forces
 Earthflow

• basically a very viscous (thick) debris flow

• slow-moving
– faster in wetter weather
Earthflow
 Creep
• very slow
• result of freezing and thawing
Creep
Creep

from D. Schwert, NDSU

 Triggers for rapid Mass Wasting

• Rain
• Oversteepening
– cutting at foot of slope
– piling on head of slope
• Deforesting / Devegetating
• Earthquakes
 Types of Mass Movements
Carson and Kirby, 1972 in Ritter, et al., 2002

Classification of
Mass Movements
based on water content
and speed of movement

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Types of Mass Movements
Carson and Kirby, 1972 in Ritter, et al., 2002

Slide/
Fall
GLG 110 Fall 2003
 Types of Mass Movements

• Slide =
downslope
movement of
coherent block of
Earth material

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Blackhawk Landslide, Calif
Types of
Mass
Movements
• Started as slide
• Rode on blanket of air
• Was pulverized when
hit the base of slope
• Created debris blanket
10-30 m thick

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Yosemite National Park, California

Types of Mass
Movements

• Fall = free fall of

Earth material

GLG 110 Fall 2003 Image: USGS/Lloyd DeForrest

 • Debris Avalanche
Types of Mass
= very rapid
Movements downslope
movement of soil,
rock, & organic
In <2 minutes 40 million cubic yards
debris
of rock covered the town of Frank,
Alberta, Canada, in 1903

GLG
Image:110
NOAAFall 2003
 Types of Mass Movements

• Avalanche
– Rapid downslope movement
of snow and ice sometimes
with rock, soil, and trees
– Often begins with slab
weighing millions of tons,
falling from an overloaded
slope
– Can travel as much as 62
mph
– Tend to travel down chutes
where previous avalanches
have flown
GLG 110 Fall 2003
 Types of Mass Movements
Carson and Kirby, 1972 in Ritter, et al., 2002

Flow

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Types of Mass Movements
• Flow = downslope • Debris Flow =
movement of >50% of
particles
unconsolidated coarser than
Earth material sand
saturated with • Mudflow =
water >50% of
particles finer
– particles within than sand
also move with
respect to each
other

GLG 110 Fall 2003

Image: NOAA
 Types of Mass Movement

• Lahar = mudflow produced when large

volume of volcanic ash and ejecta becomes
saturated with water Armero, Nevado Del Ruiz, 1985

GLG 110 Fall 2003 Image: USGS

 Mt. Sopris, Colorado

Types of Mass
Movement

• Rock Glacier =
mass or rock and
ice frozen together
and flowing
downslope

GLG 110 Fall 2003 Image: NOAA

 Types of Mass Movements
Carson and Kirby, 1972 in Ritter, et al., 2002

Creep/H
eave

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Types of Mass
Movements
• Creep & Heave = slow,
~imperceptible downslope
movement of unconsolidated
Earth material
– Often related to seasonal
effects and/or precipitation
rates
• Slow Flow
Image: NOAA

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Types of Mass Movements
Carson and Kirby, 1972 in Ritter, et al., 2002

Slump/
Subsidence

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Types of Mass
Movements

• Slump = rock
or soil moving
downslope Black Hills, N.D.
along curved
slip plane
producing
slump blocks

GLG 110 Fall 2003 Image: NOAA

 Types of Mass Movements
• Subsidence =
sinking of
mass of Earth
material belowSan Joaquin Valley, California
level of
surrounding
material
– can occur on
slopes or flat
ground

GLG 110 Fall 2003 Image: NOAA

 Types of Mass Movement

• Subsidence can occur as a result of:

– Withdrawal of groundwater
– Withdrawal of oil and gas
– Dissolution of limestone
– Mining (coal, ore, salt)
• See Lake Peigneur example in book
• Subsidence can cause earth fissures and
sinkholes

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 Types of Mass Movements
Carson and Kirby, 1972 in Ritter, et al., 2002

Complex
Landslide

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 La Conchita, California, 1995

Types of Mass
Movements

• Landslide =
complex
combinations of
sliding and flow

GLG 110 Fall 2003

 La Conchita
Complex
Landslide

Image: USGS Image: USGS

GLG 110 Fall 2003