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Slump(geology)Wikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Slump(geology)
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Aslumpisaformofmasswastingthatoccurswhenacoherent
massoflooselyconsolidatedmaterialsorrocklayersmovesashort
distancedownaslope.[1]Movementischaracterizedbysliding
alongaconcaveupwardorplanarsurface.Causesofslumping
includeearthquakeshocks,thoroughwetting,freezingandthawing,
undercutting,andloadingofaslope.
Translationalslumpsoccurwhenadetachedlandmassmovesalong
aplanarsurface.[2]Commonplanarsurfacesoffailureincludejoints
orbeddingplanes,especiallywhereapermeablelayeroverridesan
impermeablesurface.Blockslumpsareatypeoftranslationalslump
inwhichoneormorerelatedblockunitsmovedownslopeasa
relativelycoherentmass.

TheslumpthatdestroyedThistle,
Utah,bycreatinganearthendamthat
floodedthearea

Rotationalslumpsoccurwhenaslumpblock,composedofsedimentorrock,slidesalongaconcave
upwardslipsurfacewithrotationaboutanaxisparalleltotheslope.[3]Rotationalmovementcausesthe
originalsurfaceoftheblocktobecomelesssteep,andthetopoftheslumpisrotatedbackward.Thisresults
ininternaldeformationofthemovingmassconsistingchieflyofoverturnedfoldscalledsheathfolds.
Slumpshaveseveralcharacteristicfeatures.Thecutwhichformsasthelandmassbreaksawayfromthe
slopeiscalledthescarpandisoftenclifflikeandconcave.Inrotationalslumps,themainslumpblock
oftenbreaksintoaseriesofsecondaryslumpsandassociatedscarpstoformstairsteppatternofdisplaced
blocks.[4]Theuppersurfaceoftheblocksarerotatedbackwards,formingdepressionswhichmay
accumulatewatertocreatepondsorswampyareas.Thesurfaceofthedetachedmassoftenremains
relativelyundisturbed,especiallyatthetop.However,hummockyridgesmayformnearthetoeofthe
slump.Additionofwaterandlossofsedimentcohesionatthetoemaytransformslumpingmaterialintoan
earthflow.Transversecracksattheheadscarpdrainwater,possiblykillingvegetation.Transverseridges,
transversecracksandradialcracksformindisplacedmaterialonthefootoftheslump.
Slumpsfrequentlyformduetoremovalofaslopebase,eitherfrom
naturalormanmadeprocesses.Streamorwaveerosion,aswellas
roadconstructionarecommoninstigatorsforslumping.Itisthe
removaloftheslope'sphysicalsupportwhichprovokesthismass
wastingevent.Thoroughwettingisacommoncause,which
explainswhyslumpingisoftenassociatedwithheavyrainfall,storm
eventsandearthflows.Rainprovideslubricationforthematerialto
slide,andincreasestheselfmassofthematerial.Bothfactors
increasetherateofslumping.Earthquakesalsotriggermassive
slumps,suchasthefatalslumpsofTurnagainHeightsSubdivision
SlumpedchalkslopesatMupeBay,
inAnchorage,Alaska.Thisparticularslumpwasinitiatedbya
Dorset
magnitude8.4earthquakethatresultedinliquefactionofthesoil.
Around75housesweredestroyedbytheTurnagainSlump.Power
lines,fences,roads,houses,andothermanmadestructuresmaybedamagedifinthepathofaslump.
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Slump(geology)Wikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Thespeedofslumpvarieswidely,rangingfrommeterspersecond,tometersperyear.Suddenslumps
usuallyoccurafterearthquakesorheavycontinuingrains,andcanstabilizewithinafewhours.Most
slumpsdevelopovercomparativelylongerperiods,takingmonthsoryearstoreachstability.Anexampleof
aslowmovingslumpistheSwiftCreekLandslide,adeepseatedrotationalslumplocatedonSumas
Mountain,Washington.
Slumpsmayalsooccurunderwateralongthemarginsofcontinentsandislands,resultingfromtidalaction
oralargeseismicevent.Thesesubmarineslumpscangeneratedisastroustsunamis.Theunderwaterterrain
whichencompassestheHawaiianIslandsgainsitsunusualhummockytopographyfromthemanyslumps
thathavetakenplaceformillionsofyears.

Seealso
HilinaSlump
Landslide
Rockslide
Sturzstrom

References
1. Tarbuck,E.J.Lutgens,F.K.(1998),Earth,anintroductiontoPhysicalGeology(6thed.ed.),PrenticeHall,
pp.219220,ISBN9780139741227
2. Girty,G.H.(2009),"Landslides",PerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters
(http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/visualgeology/naturaldisasters/Chapters/Chapter8Landslides.pdf),Montezuma
Publishing,pp.117
3. Easterbrook,D.J.(1999),SurfacesProcessesandLandforms(2ndEded.),PrenticeHall,ISBN978
0138609580
4. Hansen,M.C.(2000),EarthquakesandSeismicRiskinOhio
(http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/geosurvey/tabid/7882/Default.aspx),OhioDepartmentofNaturalResources,Division
ofGeologicalSurvey

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