What is Landslide ?

downward and outward movement of

slope forming materials composed of
rocks, soils, artificial fills or combination of
all these materials along surfaces of
separation by falling, sliding and flowing,
either slowly or quickly from one place to
another.

An idealized slump-earth flow showing commonly used

nomenclature for labeling the parts of a landslide.

Types of landslides

Rotational and Translational

landslide

Block slide & Rockfall

Topple & Debris flow

Debris Avalanch & Earth flow

Creep

Lateral spread

 The speed of the movement may range from very slow to

rapid.
The speed of the landslide will make an even more or
less avoidable and therefore, more or less risky.
It is important to distinguish the different types of
landslides to be able to understand how to deal with each
of them.
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Types of rapid mass movement

11

Slump

12

Factors that control slope stability

13

Factors that control slope stability

14

Factors that control slope stability

15

Factors that control slope stability

16

Causes of Landsliding
Geologists use a variety of classification
schemes to describe causes of landslides.
Because of wide variety of causes, no
single scheme has yet been developed
that address or describe all types of
landslides.

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Human causes
a. Excavation of slope or its toe
b. Loading of slope or its crest
c. Drawdown (of reservoirs)
d. Deforestation
e. Irrigation
f. Mining
g. Artificial vibration
h. Water leakage from utilities

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19

Major Landslides of India

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Major Landslides of India

21

Major Landslides of India

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Flattening of the slope

Slope at the point of failure may be
stabilised by grading the slope to a flatter
angle on the basis of proper geotechnical
investigation
Done either by regarding the slope from
bottom to the top with benching, wherever
necessary or cut in upper hills.

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24

Rockfall Protection
In many areas rock faces are
stitched with massive steel bolts to
try to keep material from being lost to
active weathering.
Alternately, surfaces can be covered
with strong mesh or boulder catching
nets can be used.

25

Mudflow Barriers
These kinds of barriers are
designed to catch most
sediment, but are not capable
of stopping very large and very
fast moving debris.

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Debris Basins
These require periodic (regular) removal of trapped material.

d e b r is f lo w
h e a d in g t o w a r d
n e ig h b o r h o o d

d e b r is tr a p p e d
in c o n c r e t e - lin e d
b a s in

27

The hazard from landslides can be reduced

by avoiding construction on steep slopes
and existing landslides, or by stabilizing the
slopes.

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Soil Erosion

What causes soil erosion?

How serious of a problem is it?
Good news and bad news from the U.S.
What is desertification?
How do salts degrade the soil?

Wind

CAUSES OF SOIL
EROSION

Water #1
People

WHY
CARE
about
soil
erosion?

Impacts of Soil Erosion

Loss of soil fertility
Sediment runoff causes
problems in surface
water (pollution, clog
ditches, boat channels,
reservoirs)
#1 source of U.S. water
pollution
Renewable only on
LONG timeframes (2001,000yrs. for 1 inch)

Soil Erosion

On Ag. land in U.S. today, soil is eroding 16

times faster than it is created

Global Soil Erosion

Areas of serious concern

Areas of some concern
Stable or nonvegetative areas
Fig. 14-7 p. 280

Causes of Desertification
Overgrazing
Deforestation
Erosion
Salinization
Soil Compaction
Natural Climate Change

World Desertification

Fig. 14-9 p. 282

Desertification:

causes and consequences.

Occurring on 1/3 of worlds land

SALINIZATION
1. Irrigation water
contains small
amounts of
dissolved salts
2. Evaporation
and
transpiration
leave salts
behind
3. Salt builds up
on soil

Reducing and Cleaning Up

Salinization
Reduce irrigation
Switch to salt-tolerant crops
Flush soils
Not growing crops for 2-5 years
Install underground drainage

Soil Degradation on Irrigated Land

Salinization

Evaporation

Transpiration

Evaporation

Waterlogging

1. Precipitation and
irrigation water
percolate
downward
2. Water table rises
3. Bad for roots

Waterlogging
Less permeable
clay layer

Fig. 14-11 p. 283

What controls soil productivity?

Water -infiltration, drainage, storage

Nutrients/toxins (12/17)
Gas Exchange -CO2 out, O2 in
Strength/rooting volume
Waste Disposal
Seed/seedling nursery

Where is the best soil?

Where are the productive soils?

We see what we know. The more we know, the

more options we realize we have w/ the worlds
soils.

Soil Conservation
What is soil conservation and how does it work?
What are some methods for reducing soil
erosion?
Inorganic versus organic fertilizers

Soil Conservation
Involves many ways of reducing soil erosion
and restoring fertility to soil.

Conventional Tillage
Farmers plow the land
and then break up and
smoothes soil to make
a planting surface
Leaves soil vulnerable
to erosion
Midwest tillage often
down in fall (winter
bare)

Conservation Tillage
Disturbing the soil as little
as possible while
planting crop
Not tilling over winter
Planting without
disturbing soil
Special equipment
inject soil with seed,
fertilizer etc.
In 2003 45% of U.S.
farms

Terracing
Used on
steep
slopes
Reduces
erosion
and water
loss

Contour
planting
Planting
crops in rows
across the
slope
Strip
Cropping
Cover Crops: can be planted
right after harvest to hold
onto soil during winter

Alternating
crops from
row crops
and crops
that

Alley Cropping: several cops planted together in rows

(alleys) Increases shade (less water) Provide
windbreaks

Windbreaks

SOIL RESTORATION
Organic fertilizer
Animal manure
Compost
Crop rotation
Commercial inorganic fertilizer

Organic Fertilizer
Has decreased in the
U.S. due in part
because most
farmers no longer
raise livestock and it
costs too much to
transport
Poop Factory and
Phillies Soil
Inorganic fertilizers
have taken off

Inorganic Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Phosphorous,
Potassium
Grown in usage
worldwide
Credited with
increasing crop yields
(1/4 of world crops)
W/o could only feed 2-3
billion people
Many problems
associated (see next
slide)