Landslides are caused by various factors, which are mentioned below:
- It can be caused because of heavy rain.
- Deforestation is also one of the main reasons for landslides because trees, plants, etc., keep the soil particles compact and due to deforestation, the mountain slopes lose their protective layers because of which the water of the rain flows with unimpeded speed on these slopes.
- It can be caused by earthquakes as well.
Full Answer
What are three factors that can cause landslides?
Natural causes of landslides include:
- saturation by rain water infiltration, snow melting, or glaciers melting;
- rising of groundwater or increase of pore water pressure (e.g. due to aquifer recharge in rainy seasons, or by rain water infiltration);
- increase of hydrostatic pressure in cracks and fractures;
How can you reduce landslides and mudslides?
- Installing flexible fittings is similar to installing regular pipes. You can do it yourself if you feel confident, or have a plumber do the job.
- Flexible fittings are especially useful in areas prone to landslides because they’ll resist breaking if there’s a shift in the ground.
- You can use flexible fittings in your gas lines as well. ...
Are mudslides and mudflows the same thing?
Q: Is mudslide and mudflow the same? A: Mudflows are often called mudslides. But the mudslide and mudflow aren't same thing. Mudslide is a geological disaster in which large amount of mud moves rapidly down. The mudslides don't contain enough liquid to seep into the property. While mudflow is mainly caused by heavy rainfall carrying mud and water.
How to prevent mudslides?
Steps you can take include:
- Listen to evacuation instructions
- Contact emergency services
- Make sure to always follow land-use procedures including avoiding building near slopes, cliffs, drainage ways, or in areas of natural erosion
- Have a geotechnical assessment done on your property
What causes landslides?
Bottom line: Landslides are mainly caused by gravity acting on weakened rocks and soil that make up a sloping area of land . Both natural and human-related activities can increase the risk for landslides. Water from heavy rainfall is a frequent trigger for landslides. April 10, 2013: Bingham Canyon landslide.
What are the factors that contribute to landslides?
Other factors that weaken slope materials also contribute to the occurrence of landslides. These factors include both natural events such as geological weathering and erosion and human-related activities such as deforestation and changes made to the flow of groundwater.
Why did the Oso mudslide happen?
Experts said that the primary reason for the Oso mudslide was rain. Water can trigger landslides and mudslides because it alters the pressure within the slope, which leads to slope instability. Consequently, the heavy water-laden slope materials (soil, rock, etc.) will succumb to the forces of gravity. Excessive water is thought to be one of the ...
What is a mudslide in Washington?
Image via DVIDS. The terms landslide or mudslide refer to the downward movement of large masses of rocks, soil, mud and organic debris. Areas with steep slopes, for example mountainous ...
How many people died in the 2014 mudslide?
That was the case for the last extremely deadly mudslide in the continental U.S., the 2014 Oso mudslide, which took 43 lives and destroyed 49 homes and other structures. A portion of an unstable hill collapsed, sending mud and debris to the south across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, engulfing a rural neighborhood. Prior to the slide, the Oso area – which is about 55 miles northeast of Seattle – had had heavy rainfall during the previous 45 days, up to 261 percent of normal, by some sources.
What is the most destructive type of landslide?
One particularly destructive type of landslide is known as a lahar. Lahars are volcanic mud flows or debris flows that are capable of traveling at very fast speeds down the slope of a volcano.
How many square miles did the Oso mudslide cover?
Aerial view of the Oso area shortly after the March 22, 2014, mudslide. The slide covered about a 1-square-mile (2.6-square-km) area. Image via U.S. Navy/ Wikimedia Commons. Landslides are classified according to the type of material that falls and how that material moves downslope.
What Causes a Landslide?
Like avalanches, landslides can be sparked by geological events such as volcanoes and earthquakes. They are also easily triggered by floods and by heavy rains that follow droughts.
How does deforestation contribute to landslides?
Deforestation contributes to landslides when no roots are left to hold mountain soil in place.
How common are landslides in California in 2021?
According to a February 2021 publication of the USGS, post-wildfire landslides are becoming more common in California, averaging at about one per year.
What is the movement of a large mass of ice and snow called?
An avalanche is a rapid and violent movement down a steep slope of a large mass of ice and snow.
What causes an unstable mass that is not well supported by the snow that is lower on the gradient?
Snow that has been blown uphill or over a mountain peak from windward to leeward side can create an unstable mass that is not well supported by the snow that is lower on the gradient.
How many states have landslides?
The USGS says that landslides occur in all 50 states. Every year they count for 25-50 deaths domestically and thousands worldwide.
Do landslides require water?
Landslides can progress quickly like avalanches or move fairly slowly. Not all landslides involve water, and they don’t always move through channels in the land. Mudslides do require water (mud is by definition sodden) and they usually move through some sort of channel like a stream bed or a canyon.
What would happen if a landslide occurred?
In human-modified environments, especially industrial sites and areas that have been intensively cultivated, if a landslide occurred, it would most probably lead to the increase of erosion potential and release and transport of contaminating substances.
How do landslides affect soil erosion?
Effects of landslides. The linking of landslides to soil erosion by water is evident as landslides can be seen as a primary source of erosion by increasing the sediment yield in the drainage basins where they occur .
What causes them?
The driving forces/pressures for flooding and landslides are of natural, social, economic, and ecological origins which interact in complex ways
How do they affect soil functions?
Biomass production - Floods will affect food production either through soil erosion and the leaching of nutrients (usually upstream), or by the inundation and siltation of agricultural land (usually downstream). In the case of landslides that affect cultivated or natural areas, food, biological and environmental functions are lost in a very short period. However, landslides can lead to a rejuvenation of soils favouring the development of new biological and ecological systems and the restoration of soil functions in a short time period (< 5 years).
What are the socio-economic drivers of flooding?
Land use changes. One of the main socio-economic drivers for flooding and landslides are changes in land use. Changes from grassland to arable farming systems, field drainage, changes in forest covers and soil sealing can all increase runoff and incidences of flooding.
What are the external drivers of landslides?
Climate and climate change. Climate and climate change controls precipitation and snowmelt (frequency, intensity and magnitude, seasonality, cyclonality and the respective changes), and are the most important external drivers for landslides and flooding. Land use changes.
What are the effects of flooding?
Effects of flooding. Small and large-scale temporary flooding of soil can cause significant soil deterioration effects. Floods over slopes in the form of overland flow, sheet flow, return flow, groundwater ridging, etc. are obviously connected to soil erosion and landslides. The floodwater along with saturated conditions may destroy soil macropores ...
Why have there been landslides in Japan?
But why have there not been more landslides in the past than there are now? A clue is found right around the end of World War II. The Japanese government, determined to build up their economy, replaced many of the naturally occurring trees (including those on the mountainsides) with sturdy cedar trees that were deemed more economically resourceful.
How many people died in a mudslide in 2014?
Unfortunately, other areas of India have experienced the same phenomenon. In Pune in 2014 a mudslide killed between 150 and 200 people. It followed in the wake of heavy rainfall, as is typical with landslides. Not surprising as well is the causal connection to deforestation.
What is the cause of the Kerala floods?
While part of the cause was attributed to the region itself being vulnerable, part of the cause has also been attributed human intervention: quarrying, mining and building, all of which simultaneously harmed the environment and the human inhabitants.
When did the landslides happen in Japan?
The world has been watching Japan lately: it’s been hit with one natural disaster after another. First came the flooding and landslides at the end of June 2018, then the record-breaking heatwave in July, and now Hurricane Jebi is sweeping through the Western part of Honshu.
Do cedar trees survive landslides?
The roots of the cedar trees are not as resistant to landslides as those of the former trees. People who have built homes on the hillsides where trees used to grow are also making themselves vulnerable to the elements. These factors strongly point to evidence for the increase of landslides in Japan.
Definition
Causes
- The primary cause of a landslide is the influence of gravity acting on weakened materials that make up a sloping area of land. While some landslides occur slowly over time (e.g., land movement on the order of a few meters/yards per month), the most destructive ones happen suddenly after a triggering event such as heavy rainfall or an earthquake. Other factors that wea…
Accidents
- That was the case for the last extremely deadly mudslide in the continental U.S., the 2014 Oso mudslide, which took 43 lives and destroyed 49 homes and other structures. A portion of an unstable hill collapsed, sending mud and debris to the south across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, engulfing a rural neighborhood. Prior to the slide, the Oso area which is abo…
Effects
- Water can trigger landslides and mudslides because it alters the pressure within the slope, which leads to slope instability. Consequently, the heavy water-laden slope materials (soil, rock, etc.) will succumb to the forces of gravity. Excessive water is thought to be one of the most common triggers for landslides.
Classification
- Landslides are classified according to the type of material that falls and how that material moves downslope. For example, there are rock falls, mudslides, and debris flows. All of these terms represent a type of landslide.
Geology
- One particularly destructive type of landslide is known as a lahar. Lahars are volcanic mud flows or debris flows that are capable of traveling at very fast speeds down the slope of a volcano.
Resources
- The Landslide Handbook A Guide to Understanding Landslides is a great resource from the U.S. Geological Survey for those who want to learn more about landslides.