WEATHERING, EROSION & SUDDEN MASS MOVEMENT

Learning Objectives
What is weathering and how does it occur?
What factors influence erosion?
What is mass movement and what types occur
in nature?
How can you calculate mass movements?
What are the implications of mass transport?

Weathering

Weathering involves the physical breakdown

and chemical alteration of rock at or near
Earths surface

Two types:

Mechanical weathering physical forces breaking

rocks into smaller pieces
Chemical weathering chemical transformation of
rock into new compounds

Both types work simultaneously and reinforce

each other

Mechanical Weathering Increases

Surface Area

What are some other processes that are

proportional
to surface area?

Mechanical Weathering

Types of Mechanical Weathering

Frost wedging
Sheeting/Unloading
Biological activity
Salt crystal growth

Mechanical Weathering

Frost wedging

Water works its way into cracks in rocks and the freezing enlarges the cracks
in the rocks
Lenses of ice grow larger as they attract liquid water from surrounding
areas

Unloading Leads to Sheeting

Large masses of igneous rock are exposed by erosion and glaciation & concentric
slabs break loose
An exfoliation dome is formed after continued weathering causes the slabs
to separate and spall off
Joints are fractures produced by contraction during the crystallization of
magma

Mechanical Weathering
Biological activity
Plant roots grow into fractures in
a rock, causing the cracks to
expand
Burrowing animals break down
rocks by moving fresh material to
the surface, enhancing physical
and chemical weathering

Chemical Weathering

The Most Important Agent Is Water

Responsible for transport of ions and

molecules involved in chemical processes

Types of Chemical Weathering

Dissolution
Oxidation
Hydrolysis
Spheroidal weathering

Chemical Weathering
Dissolution

Certain minerals dissolve in water

Halite (NaCl) is one of the most water-soluble minerals

A small amount of acid in water increases the corrosive force of water,
causing dissolution

Carbonic acid is created when carbon dioxide dissolves in raindrops

Calcite (CaCO3) is easily attacked by weakly acidic solutions

Chemical Weathering
Oxidation

Oxygen combines with iron to form iron oxide

Water increases the speed of the reaction
Important in decomposing ferromagnesium minerals like olivine, pyroxene,
hornblende, and biotite

Chemical Weathering
Hydrolysis

The reaction of any substance with water

A hydrogen ion attacks and replaces another ion
Silicates primarily decompose by hydrolysis

Clay minerals are the most abundant product of weathering

Clay minerals are usually very stable under surface conditions

The Formation of Rounded Boulders

Spheroidal weathering

Rates of Weathering

The rate of weathering is influenced by rock type

(composition) and climate

Different minerals weather at different rates

Silicate minerals weather in the same order as
crystallization (Bowens reaction series)
Warm, moist climates enhance (and cold, dry climates
inhibit) chemical weathering
Uneven weathering of the rock due to different mineral
composition

Called differential weathering

Monuments to Weathering:
Examples of Differential Weathering

Soil A Product of Weathering

Earths land surface is covered by a layer of rock and
mineral fragments produced by weathering, called
regolith
Soil is a combination of mineral and organic matter,
water, and air and is the portion of the regolith that
supports the growth of plants

The Impact of Human Activity on Soils

Soil Erosion
Soil erosion is a natural process in the rock cycle
Erosion rates are dependent on climate, slope,
and type of vegetation
Human activities such as deforestation and farming
practices can enhance soil erosion

Soil Conservation
Key for agriculture in many areas

Examples of Soil Conservation

Weathering and Erosion

Slow processes (the snail analogy)
Very important in agriculture
Very important in global processes (e.g. salinity in
the ocean)

Sudden Mass Movement

The destructive forces (the fast rabbit analogy)

What is mass movement?

Plate tectonics topography
Relief planed out

Main driving force

Erosion agents:
Processes: weathering, erosion, etc.

Particle motion one by one OR, under certain conditions,

can also move 'en masse.

Mt. Yamnuska

Mass movement (def): movement in which bedrock, rock debris,

or soil move downslope in bulk because of gravity.

Why study mass movements?

Landslides (one type of mass mvt) are Canada's most
destructive natural hazard.
In Canada, landslides cause between $100 200 million in
damage annually, and have caused > 600 deaths since 1840.

Better understanding of the geology, and the risk factors can

limit the damage and save lives.

Why study mass movements?

April 2008 - evacuation on rue Lafrance, Gatineau

Maybe if some of these house owners had taken GEO1111

they would not have built their homes at that location ??

What makes a slope fail?

Gravity!
GRAVITATIONAL DRIVING FORCE

Fdriv = ma = mg

What makes a slope fail?

Gravity!
GRAVITATIONAL DRIVING FORCE

Fdriv = ma = mg

What keeps a slope in place?

Friction and Cohesion
RESISTING FORCE
Fres=fric mg cos

The Slope Experiment

A simplified example of mass movement

What makes a slope fail?

Force analysis
DRIVING FORCE (Fdriv = mg sin )

RESISTING FORCE (Fres = fric N = fric mg cos )

What makes a slope fail?

Force analysis
DRIVING FORCE (Fdriv = mg sin )

RESISTING FORCE (Fres = fric N = fric mg cos )

Two scenarios:

1) No motion; Fdriv < or = Fres

2) Initiation of motion when; Fdriv > Fres
(when critical angle (c) is exceeded or Fres is decreased)

A practical Question
Maya Geo is concerned that, a large block of shale is going to slip
down a mountain slope in the upcoming rainy season and this
will trigger an avalanche and bury the town of Gold Strike. The
gold miners are laughing at her concern. Maya made the
measurements listed below. Should the miners laugh or should
they get out of town beer-in-hand?
Length of mountain slope = 1 km
Height of block of shale above the town = 500m
Weight of block of shale = 100,000 kg
Frictional resistance of the shale block = 0.55

Maya Geos Calculation

Height
Length
Weight
g
Force gravity
Angle
sin (ang)
Force down

500
1000
100000
9.8
m g sin(Ang)
30
0.5
490000

m
m
kg
m/s^2
degrees
N

Force Resist Uf mg cos(Ang) N

cos (angle)
0.866
Ufric
0.55
N
Force Resist is
466774
N

Real World Tragedy

Rockslide The Frank Slide (1903), Canadian Cordillera (Alberta)

What makes a slope fail?

Force analysis additional variables
Rock can move in one solid block (slide) as
in the diagram of the previous slide, but rock
debris and soil can also deform internally
(flow) under the influence of gravity.
shear deformation

This internal resistance to deformation (or internal strength) is a

resisting force and can be added to our previous equation.
Therefore, Fres = basal friction + internal strength

What makes a slope fail?

Factors (4) that influence internal strength of rock debris
sediment or soil:
1) electrostatic forces (e.g. clay particles)
2) friction at grain contact = f(angularity, grain size)
Angle of repose with:
a) Grain size &
b) Grain angularity ..
fine
sand
35

rounded

coarse
sand
40

angular

45

angle of repose >

grain size >

What makes a slope fail?

Ideal sand
moisture?

Factors that influence internal strength of rock debris

sediment or soil (continued)
damp sand
vs
dry sand
vs
wet sand

4) surface tension
3) pore pressure
More cohesive

Damp sand

Factor?

Dry sand

Less cohesive
Wet sand

What makes a slope fail?

What FACTORS control the susceptibility to mass movement?
Increase in risk of mass mvt if:
1) slope angle

2) relief

3) bedrock type

jointed, fractured, bedded bedrock

4) thickness of debris

thick debris or soil cover

5) climate:
a) ice
b) water/moisture
c) rain
d) vegetation

freeze-thaw cycles

low cover

What makes a slope fail?

What TRIGGERS mass movements?

Events or activities:
heavy rainfall / snowmelt, add buildings
Earthquakes, dynamite, explosions,
eruptions, loud sounds
heavy rainfall / snowmelt
excavation, road construction, river erosion

What makes a slope fail?

Jan Aylsworth, Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada

How does material move downslope?

Classification of mass movements is based on:
1) type of movement: FALL, SLIDE, or FLOW

FALL

rotational

SLIDES

translational

FLOW

2) type of material: rock (solid and coherent), debris (unconsolidated),

and the water content

3) rate of movement: from less than 1 cm/year to many hundreds of km/h

How does material move downslope?

mvt type

material

name

velocity

FALL:
material falls freely
through the air

Rock

Rockfall

very fast
> a few km/h

Debris

Debris fall

fast to very fast

> 1 km/h

How does material move downslope?

mvt type

material

Rock
SLIDE:
descending material
moves along a rupture
or detachment surface
Debris

name

velocity

Rockslide

fast
a few km/h

Slump
(rotational)

slow to moderate
< 1 km/h

Debris slide
(translational)

slow to fast
< a few km/h

How does material move downslope?

Debris slide coherent mass of debris moving along a surface
potential trigger?

How does material move downslope?

material

name

velocity

FLOW:
downslope mvt in
a viscous fluid

Rock

Creep

very slow; < 10 cm/yr

Avalanche

very fast; > 10 km/h

Debris

increasing velocity

mvt type

very slow; < 10 cm/yr

Creep
Earthflow
Gelifluction

(permafrost)

Mudflow
Quickclays

(marine origin)

Avalanche
(debris or snow)

decreasing grain size

Debris flow

moderate to fast
1-4 km/h

very fast; > 10 km/h

How does material move downslope?

Creep very slow downslope movement

Mechanisms: wet/dry cycles

freeze/thaw cycles

How does material move downslope?

Gelifluction in colder climates;
during warmer months, water-saturated
debris moves downslope
over permafrost

Siberia

Northwestern Aklaska

How does material move downslope?

Debris flow flow where coarse material (boulder, gravel) is predominant
and is supported by a matrix of finer sediment
flow of mixed
mud, rock, and
surface debris.

*video

How does material move downslope?

Mudflow mixture of debris and water, usually confined to a channel.
High water content (rain, snow)
Lesser % of coarser debris, mostly mud or ash
Consistency of chocolate milkshake
Mudflow are generally faster and flow further
than debris flows

Can occur on the flanks of volcanoes, steep deforested mountain sides,

over steepened cliffs of unconsolidated fine sediments (eg. glacial
deposits forming the bluffs around Lake Ontario)

How does material move downslope?

Mudflow Nevado Del Ruiz, Columbia
Pyroclastic flows (ash, hot gases, sediment) evolve into
mudflows (sediment and water) downstream

On this map,
two mud flows are shown in
red and grey

How does material move downslope?

Mudflow Nevado Del Ruiz, Columbia, 1985
Thickness of debris: 40 m
Maximum flow velocity: 50km/h
Distance between Nevado Del Ruiz
and town of Armero: 74 km
Number of people who perished:
23 000 (3/4 of the town)

How does material move downslope?

Quickclays (syn.: sensitive clays) clays deposited in glacio-marine environments;
stability when salt is leached out by freshwater.

Strength:
nondisturbed
> 30
disturbed

National Research Council

How does material move downslope?

Quickclays landslides in the St-Lawrence, Ottawa, and Saguenay river valleys
Blue area Champlain Sea (12000-9500 yrs ago)
- at end of Wisconsinan Glaciation

Champlain Sea
deposited a quickclay
(sensitive clay)
referred to as the
Leda clay

Notre-Dame de la Salette
1908

Lemieux,1993
J Aylsworth

St-Jean Vianney
1971

How does material move downslope?

Quickclay flow started as a rotational slide (slump) and turned into a flow.

St-Jean Vianney (Saguenay) in May 1971 31 dead

Real World Tragedy - Washington 2014

Summary
Mechanical and Chemical Weathering
Increase surface area, break up rock and dissolve soluble
minerals
Globally very important

Erosion
Transports particulate material
Wind and water born particulate material

Mass Movement
Sudden failure of slope when resistance force is overcome
Forces can be calculated to assess the risk
Leads to local destruction