Environmental Impact on Landslides

What was the purpose of David Varnes' 1978 proposal?

What is the term used to describe blocks coming away by rotation from a vertical face?

What type of landslide involves the movement of a body of material that remains intact while moving over one or several inclined surfaces?

What is the term used to describe a layer of material cracking, opening up, and expanding laterally?

What is the term used to describe the movement of fluidized material, which can be both dry or rich in water?

What type of movement can affect entire mountain slopes or portions of it?

What can occur when a landslide initiates as a rock fall or topple and then transforms into a debris slide or flow?

How many types of movement are recognized in the Hungr-Leroueil-Picarelli classification?

What is the primary driving force behind a landslide?

What is the term used to describe the reduction of landslide risks and impacts?

What can trigger a landslide in many cases?

What can lead to a decrease in the shear strength of slope material?

What is the term used to describe the process of mass wasting that includes rockfalls, mudflows, and debris flows?

What is the result of a decrease in the shear strength of slope material or an increase in the shear stress borne by the material?

Where can landslides occur?

What can global warming caused by climate change increase?

Landslides and Human Development

Human activities such as urban sprawl, mining, and deforestation can exacerbate landslides
Land degradation can lead to reduced stabilization of soil by vegetation, making it more prone to landslides

Landslide Mitigation

Landslide mitigation involves policies and practices to reduce the risk of landslides and their impact on human populations

Causes of Landslides

Gravity is the primary driving force behind landslides
Other factors affecting slope stability can produce conditions that make a slope prone to failure
Landslides can be triggered by specific events such as heavy rainfall, earthquakes, or slope cuts for road construction

Types of Landslides

Hungr-Leroueil-Picarelli Classification

Six types of landslide movements are recognized: falls, topples, slides, spreads, flows, and slope deformations
Each type can occur in both rock and soil
Falls involve isolated blocks or chunks of soil in free-fall
Topple refers to blocks coming away by rotation from a vertical face
Slides involve the movement of a body of material that remains intact while moving over inclined surfaces
Slides can be sub-classified as planar or rotational
Spreads involve the cracking, opening, and lateral expansion of a layer of material
Flows involve the movement of fluidized material, which can be dry or water-rich
Slope deformations are slow, distributed movements that can affect entire mountain slopes

This quiz explores how human activities and climate change contribute to landslides and land degradation, and discusses ways to mitigate the risk.

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Environmental Impact on Landslides

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