This blog contains information about Types, Causes, Impacts and Control Measures for Landslides. This also contain Natural and Anthropogenic Causes of Landslide.
What is a Landslide?
A Landslide is a mass movement of material such as rock, earth or debris down a slope. This can also be called as landslip, or rockslides that includes a wide range of ground movement.
It is a down-drop movement of land from a slope. The major driver of Landslide is Gravitational force of the Earth. You will never see the land sliding upwards, it always slides downwards towards the force of Gravity. These are one of the serious Geological hazards that occurs on the Earth and are dangerous for Biodiversity and Humans on Earth. It only occurs in slopy regions, such as Mountains, Hills etc. There are multiple Natural and Anthropogenic Causes or Drivers of Landslides. The hilly and mountainous areas should be have planned infrastructure by keeping the risk of Landslides in view.
A landslide cause a lot of damage to the Humans, Biodiversity and Infrastructure in hilly areas. They are always unpredictable and abrupt in nature. So, there is not time to take precautions for Landslides. We will have a detailed description on Types, Causes, Impacts and Control Measures for Landslides.
Is Landslide an Environmental Problem?
Yes, Landslides are significant Environmental Problems. The main reason behind it is that its origin is the Environment. The hilly slopes and mountainous slopes are a part of Environment. And if anything has a potential to harm Humans and Biodiversity from the Environmental components, then it can be considered as a serious Environmental Problem. Landslide may destroy infrastructure, property, Human life and even Damage Biodiversity at great extents. The damage of a landslide depends upon its extent and the degree of its occurrence. It may be causing minor damages to the Environment, but in extreme cases it may destroy buildings, roads, and cause life loss within some minutes. So, by looking at all the characteristics and Impacts of a Landslide, it can be called as an Environmental Problem.
What are the Main Types of Landslide?
Landslides can be of different types and severity of damage. Landslides are divided into Seven main types. Following are some Main Types of Landslides:
I. Rock Fall or Fall:
This is a common type of Landslide. Rock fall refers to the fall of big rock pieces from steep slopes or a cliff that bounce and roll downwards down the slope. This landslide can be dangerous for the infrastructure and people present in that area. This mostly reach down with very strong force.
II. Debris Flows:
This type of landslide is also referred as Mud Flow. Debris Flow is the rapid flow of loose mud, soil or organic matter that is mixed with water. They creates channels of water and mud down the slope and the heavy rainfall and melting snowfall triggers them. This is with high speed flow and cause damage.
III. Slumps:
This is also a common type of Landslide. Slumps are the type of landslide that occurs with rotational floe of rock or soil that goes down through a curved surface. This is a distinct type of landslide. Its flow is not predictable and can be dangerous for the Environmental Components of respective area.
IV. Rock Slides:
These landslides are almost similar to the Rock Falls. But in case of Rock Slides, the rock mass moves along the well-defined surface i.e. a bedding plain or surface. It is the landslide of larger rock materials than rock falls and it is more dangerous as compared to Rock falls.
V. Earth Flows:
This type of landslide is liquid-like in texture. Earth Flow is a mixture of fine-grained rock or soil and water that flows down the slope. This flows in the form of viscous liquid. The Earth flows can be rapid, slow moving and they are mostly on gentle to moderate slope.
VI. Creeps:
This type of landslide occurs in freezing conditions. Creeps are the slow moving particles where soil or rock down the slope due to free-thaw cycles, wetting and drying, or other such processes. This is imperceptible except over long periods. These are rare type of landslides.
VII. Avalanches:
These landslides are also related to snowy regions. Avalanches are the landslides in the form of rapid movement of snow and ice down the slope. These masses of snow are primarily snow but they also incorporate with soil and rock particles. These may also contain debris especially in lower portions.
These are some of the Main Types of Landslides. Each of it has different characteristics and different extents of damage to life and Environment. This blog contains Types, Causes, Impacts and Control Measures for Landslides.
What are the Natural Causes of Landslides?
Landslides can be caused by Natural and Anthropogenic Causes of Landslides. Following are some of the Natural Causes of Landslides:
Earthquakes:
Earthquakes refer to as shaking of the ground due to movement and collisions of Tectonic Plates. This cause a lot of infrastructure, Biodiversity and Life loss on Earth every year. Earthquake is the Significant cause of Landslides, because it shakes the ground and cause the land to slide from the slopes very easily and it also trigger the weathering and deformation of rocks and soil.
Weathering:
Weathering is the natural process of breaking down and dissolution of the rocks because of weather conditions. It can be influenced by water, temperature, pressure and Plants and Animals that are present in the Environment. Weathering makes the rocks weaker from the core and the risk of landslides increases with even a minor difference in the Environmental and Weather Conditions.
Volcanic Eruption:
Volcanic Eruption is the Natural Process by which lava comes on the Earth’s surface from the depth of the Earth. This is in the form of explosion which shakes the ground, effects the nearby rocks and the lava makes them degraded and they are more likely to break and flow on the surface of the Earth through the slope. This is a main Natural Cause of Landslides on Earth.
Erosion:
Erosion is the phenomena in which the upper layer of the soil and land wipes away naturally with the help of water or air. This makes the soil much weaker and makes it detach from the Earth’s surface. The Erosion triggers the Nutrient loss, loss of upper layer and also make the holding power of the soil weaker. The extreme Erosion cause the rocks to fall down to the slopes to cause Landslides.
Heavy Rainfall:
Heavy rainfall is the climatic condition in which a high speed precipitation in the form of rain falls on the Earth’s surface. This rainfall exerts a great pressure on the soil and rocks present in hilly and mountainous because that is already a slopy region. The heavy rainfall cause the rock and soil to detach from the surface and they are pulled by gravitational force. This is the major natural cause of landslide.
Overaccumulation of Debris:
Overaccumulation of Debris means overloading of Earth materials on a cliff or on a slope in hilly areas. This may be due to Volcanic Ash, Landslide deposits etc. can add weight to the slope and trigger Landslides. This may be due to increased pressure on the upper portion of the cliff combined with Gravitational force. The condition of overaccumulation of debris in a small area.
These are few Natural Causes of Landslides. Most of landslides occurs due to Natural Causes of Landslides. This blog contains Types, Causes, Impacts and Control Measures for Landslides.
What are the Anthropogenic Causes of Landslides?
Many of the Landslides are triggered by Anthropogenic activities and Human-driven Causes of Landslides. Following are the Anthropogenic Causes of Landslides:
Deforestation:
Most of the rare and valuable forms of wood and trees are present in the mountainous areas. So, there is a high rate of Deforestation in those areas. Human Population is clearing all the valuable species of trees from the mountainous slopes. This clearing of forests cause the landslides to cause more damage to the Environment and Humans, by clearing the way of rocks on the slopes. Trees can stop landslides from falling with great pressure.
Agricultural Practices:
The hilly areas and mountains are extremely suitable for agricultural practices. But there are proper ways to practice farming or agriculture on the slopes of the hills. If the farming is without any terracing and in non-sustainable ways of farming, it cause the landslide to occur. As farming makes the soil fragile and it can move the rocks and soil very easily down the slope. While with terracing, it can control landslides by providing flat areas in their way.
Land-Use Changes:
The land-use change means the variation in previous land-use. Humans mostly converts forested areas into agricultural lands or farmlands. This makes the soil fragile and weaker from the core. These changes increase risks of landslides of the nearby areas and soil. In such places there are no trees to stop or reduce the Impacts of Landslides and the landslides occurs with full potential. This is one of the significant causes of Landslides.
Mining:
Mining is the process of harvesting minerals and valuables from the Earth’s surface. This includes explosions, drilling, removing upper layer of the slopes, etc. All of these activities cause the soil structure to weak and rocks to detach from the surface of the Earth. This triggers the impacts of Soil Erosion and increase the risks of Landslides at a great extent. It also cause the landslides in the nearby areas of the Mining practices.
These are the Anthropogenic Causes of Landslides. All of them also play significant roles in occurrence of Landslides. This blog is all about Types, Causes, Impacts and Control Measures for Landslides.
What are the Impacts of Landslides ?
Landslides cast many dangerous impacts on Humans, Biodiversity and Environment. Some of those impacts are listed as follows:
- Landslides can be a great cause of Infrastructure loss i.e. destruction of roads, property, buildings and houses.
- These can be very severe for the Biodiversity loss, as they can destroy Plants and Animals that comes in their way. This cause loss of life in extreme cases.
- Landslides are significant cause of damage of Natural Resources on the slopes and down the slope. They can damage minerals, rocks and other important Natural Resources.
- These landslides are great cause of Economic Loss because it damage the land, property and infrastructure of the respective area.
- Landslides cause habitat loss for the Biodiversity by destroying vegetation, mountain slopes and Trees in their ways.
- This is a significant cause of Soil Erosion of the nearby land area and rocks because of weakening of soil structure and rocks.
These are some of the Major Impacts of Landslides on Humans, Biodiversity and Environment. These can have minor impacts or major life threatening impacts. This blog contains information about Types, Causes, Impacts and Control measures of Landslides.
What are the Control Measure for Landslides?
Landslides can be controlled by some of the Control Measures for the Landslides. Following are the Control Measures for Landslides:
Monitoring and Alarming:
The best way to prevent the Extreme impacts of Landslides is monitoring of the land structures and soil conditions. This will give us time to prepare for the disaster and help in reducing the Impacts of the Landslide.
Vegetation Preservation:
Preservation means to protect the Natural Resources away from the interference of Human Activities. The preservation of vegetation will help us to fight with landslides and help to reduce the extreme impacts and life loss by landslides.
Build Walls:
Building walls will hold the slope and exert pressure on the slop to stop or reduce the impacts of Landslides. The walls will help to hold the land and rocks on the slopes and prevent them to fall in the form of Landslides.
Identification of Vulnerable Areas:
The identification of vulnerable areas will help to build protection against landslides in order to reduce the damage. This will stop people to build unimportant buildings and hotels down the vulnerable areas because of danger of Landslides.
All of these Control Measures will help us to prevent or reduce landslides. This will reduce the life loss and damage to Biodiversity at a great extent. This blog contains Types, Causes, Impacts and Control Measures of Landslides.
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