Mass Wasting - Mass Wasting Processes

Mass wasting processes

The four processes of mass wasting are distinguished based on the nature of the movement that they produce. Flow involves the rapid downslope movement of a chaotic mass of material. Varying amounts of water may be involved. A mud flow, for example, contains a large amount of water and involves the movement of very fine-grained Earth materials. Fall involves very rapid downslope movement of Earth materials as they descend (free fall) from a cliff. Ignoring wind resistance, falling materials move at 32 ft/sec (9.8 m/sec)—the fastest rate possible in a natural system. Slides result when a mass of material moves downslope, as a fairly coherent mass, along a planar surface. Slumps are similar to slides but occur along a curved (concave-upward) surface and move somewhat more slowly.