10.11: Putting It Together- Mass Wasting
Summary
In this section we were able to learn what implication erosion has on a grand scale. We learned the following:
- The definition of mass wasting
- The various types of mass wasting
- The forces behind mass wasting
- What humans are doing to aggravate the occurrence of mass wasting
Synthesis
In the opening section, we saw a video of an earthflow in Italy and the damage it caused. Can you imagine that coming down a mountain side towards a major city like this?
What about this?
Back to the picture from the opening—did you notice anything odd about the trees in the picture? They were definitely shaped strangely at the base. Their trunks were curved. These trees are the result of mass wasting, specifically creep. Creep is the slowest form of mass wasting, but imagine what would happen if you had a house there!
Once again, we have seen strong forces we are dealing with in geology. By understanding how the various types of mass wasting occur, geologists can save not only money but lives as well.
Contributors and Attributions
- Authored by : Kimberly Schulte and Lumen Learning. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
- Caraballeda 1999 Deposits and Damage. Provided by : USGS. Located at : http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/ofr-01-0144/Venezuela/image031.jpg . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Mameyes. Authored by : R.W. Jibson. Provided by : USGS. Located at : http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazardimages/picture/show/1549 . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright