Mass movements

Published on 31 Jan 2025

Movement of rock, soil, and other material along the slope due to gravity is called mass movements. Heave, Flow and Slide are three forms of mass movements. Mass movements can be classified into 3 major classes:

• Slow movements

• Rapid movements

• Landslides

Slow movements

• Creep: Extremely slow movement along moderately steep soil covered slopes.

• Solifluction: Slow flowing soil mass and fine-grained rock debris saturated or lubricated with water.

Rapid movements: Prevalent in humid regions and gentle to steep slopes. 

• Earthflow: Movement of water saturated clayey silty materials.

• Mudflow: Flow of weathered materials slowly or rapidly along definite channels in the absence of vegetation.

• Debris avalanche: Similar to snow avalanche and a characteristic of humid regions with or without vegetation.

Landslides: Relatively rapid and perceptible movements and the materials involved are relatively dry. 

• Slump: Slipping of rock debris with a backward rotation. 

• Debris slide: Slipping without backward rotation.

• Debris fall: Free fall of earth debris.

Landslide – Difference between Himalayas and Western Ghats

Tags:
Geography

Keywords:
Mass movements Slow movements Rapid movements Landslides Solifluction creep mud flow debris avalanche earthflow slump debris fall debris slide Landslide – Difference between Himalayas and Western Ghats

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 1

Topics:
Physical Geography