chaptermasswastinggpc章质量消耗预测.pptxVIP

Mass wasting The downslope movement of rock, regolith, soil, etc. under the direct influence of gravity Does not require a transporting medium (water, air, ice);Plays a role in developing landforms (surface features) Weathering, by itself, doesn’t produce significant landforms Landforms are developed as weathering products are removed from their original place;Figure 15.2;Weathering weakens breaks rock apart Mass wasting transports the debris downslope Generally to a stream, which carries material away This material may then be deposited anywhere downstream Ultimate destination – the ocean;For mass wasting to occur, need slopes that is, differences in elevation Most rapid mass wasting occurs in rugged, geologically-young mountains as mtn building subsides, mass wasting erosion lowers the land leads to a gentler terrain ;Causes of mass wasting Water Slope Vegetation Other “triggers”;Water’s role a major “trigger” heavy rains or snowmelt saturate surface materials pores in sediment fill w/water, reducing cohesion between particles particles can then slide apart easily (ex.: use slightly wet sand to make a sand castle. Add more water to the sand, what happens?);Figure 15.4;Clay A “dry” clay is fairly rigid Wet clay is very “slick” Water also adds mass (“weight”), and helps to start movement of material downslope;Effects of slope If slope is too steep, material will move (oversteepening) Examples: Stream undercutting a valley wall Waves pounding against a cliff Human activity (that is, stupidity);Angle of repose A characteristic of unconsolidated, granular materials (sand size or larger) The steepest angle where a pile of the material is stable Generally 25 – 40o from horizontal Larger, more angular fragments form the steepest slopes;Vegetation Root systems bind soil materials together Plants also shield underlying materials from erosional effects of raindrops More important when the vegetation removed Build a house on a scenic hillside, remove the natural vegetati