Landslide Hazard Information

Landslides cause fatalities and billions of dollars in property damage each year.
Republished from United States Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2004-3072.

Landslides Occur in all 50 States Landslide Video: This USGS video explains some of
Landslides in the United States occur in all 50 States. the differences between various types of landslides
The primary regions of landslide occurrence and and describes some landslide science activities of
potential are the coastal and mountainous areas of USGS.
California, Oregon, and Washington, the States
comprising the intermountain west, and the
mountainous and hilly regions of the Eastern United Types of Landslides
States. Alaska and Hawaii also experience all types of
landslides.
Landslide Incidence and Susceptibility Map

Rotational slide: This is a slide in which the surface

of rupture is curved concavely upward and the slide
movement is roughly rotational about an axis that is
parallel to the ground surface and transverse across
the slide.

USGS map of
relative
landslide
incidence and
susceptiblity
across the
conterminous
United States.
 Red and pink
areas have the
highest
incidence and
susceptibility.
USGS Map

Landslides in the United States cause approximately

$3.5 billion (year 2001 dollars) in damage, and kill
between 25 and 50 people annually. Casualties in the
United States are primarily caused by rockfalls, rock
Translational slide: In this type of slide, the
slides, and debris flows. Worldwide, landslides occur
landslide mass moves along a roughly planar surface
and cause thousands of casualties and billions in
with little rotation or backward tilting.
monetary losses annually.
The information presented here provides an
introductory primer on understanding basic scientific
facts about landslides-the different types of landslides,
how they are initiated, and some basic information
about how they can begin to be managed as a hazard.

Types of Landslides
The term "landslide" describes a wide variety of
processes that result in the downward and outward
movement of slope-forming materials including rock,
soil, artificial fill, or a combination of these. The
materials may move by falling, toppling, sliding, Block slide: is a translational slide in which the
spreading, or flowing. The drawing below is a graphic moving mass consists of a single unit or a few closely
illustration of a landslide, with the commonly accepted related units that move downslope as a relatively
terminology describing its features. coherent mass.
Anatomy of a Landslide

Fall: Falls are abrupt movements of masses of

geologic materials, such as rocks and boulders, that
become detached from steep slopes or cliffs.
Separation occurs along discontinuities such as
fractures, joints, and bedding planes, and movement
Figure 1. An idealized slump-earth flow showing occurs by free-fall, bouncing, and rolling. Falls are
commonly used nomenclature for labeling the parts strongly influenced by gravity, mechanical
of a landslide. weathering, and the presence of interstitial water.

Although landslides are primarily associated with

mountainous regions, they can also occur in areas of
generally low relief. In low-relief areas, landslides
occur as cut-andfill failures (roadway and building
excavations), river bluff failures, lateral spreading
landslides, collapse of mine-waste piles (especially
coal), and a wide variety of slope failures associated
with quarries and open-pit mines. The most common
types of landslides are described and illustrated at
right.
Topple: Toppling failures are distinguished by the
Slides forward rotation of a unit or units about some
Although many types of mass movements are included pivotal point, below or low in the unit, under the
in the general term "landslide," the more restrictive use actions of gravity and forces exerted by adjacent
of the term refers only to mass movements, where units or by fluids in cracks.
there is a distinct zone of weakness that separates the
slide material from more stable underlying material.
The two major types of slides are rotational slides and
translational slides. Slide types, images and
descriptions at right.

Flows
There are five basic categories of flows that differ from
one another in fundamental ways. Flow types, images
and descriptions at right.

(Flows are different with slides of the causal subjects of

the damage; they are water and the condition of the Debris flow: A debris flow is a form of rapid mass
soil.) movement in which a combination of loose soil, rock,
organic matter, air, and water mobilize as a slurry
Although there are multiple types of causes of that flows downslope. Debris flows include less than
landslides, the three that cause most of the damaging 50% fines. Debris flows are commonly caused by
landslides around the world are these: intense surface-water flow, due to heavy
precipitation or rapid snowmelt, that erodes and
Landslides and Water mobilizes loose soil or rock on steep slopes. Debris
Slope saturation by water is a primary cause of flows also commonly mobilize from other types of
landslides. This effect can occur in the form of intense landslides that occur on steep slopes, are nearly
rainfall, snowmelt, changes in ground-water levels, and saturated, and consist of a large proportion of silt-
waterlevel changes along coastlines, earth dams, and and sand-sized material. Debris-flow source areas
the banks of lakes, reservoirs, canals, and rivers. are often associated with steep gullies, and debris-
flow deposits are usually indicated by the presence
Landsliding and flooding are closely allied because both of debris fans at the mouths of gullies. Fires that
are related to precipitation, runoff, and the saturation denude slopes of vegetation intensify the
of ground by water. In addition, debris flows and susceptibility of slopes to debris flows.
mudflows usually occur in small, steep stream channels
and often are mistaken for floods; in fact, these two
events often occur simultaneously in the same area.

Landslides can cause flooding by forming landslide

dams that block valleys and stream channels, allowing
large amounts of water to back up. This causes
backwater flooding and, if the dam fails, subsequent
downstream flooding. Also, solid landslide debris can
"bulk" or add volume and density to otherwise normal
streamflow or cause channel blockages and diversions
creating flood conditions or localized erosion.
Landslides can also cause overtopping of reservoirs
and/or reduced capacity of reservoirs to store water.

Landslides and Seismic Activity

Many mountainous areas that are vulnerable to
landslides have also experienced at least moderate
rates of earthquake occurrence in recorded times. The
occurrence of earthquakes in steep landslide-prone Debris avalanche: This is a variety of very rapid to
areas greatly increases the likelihood that landslides extremely rapid debris flow.
will occur, due to ground shaking alone or shaking-
caused dilation of soil materials, which allows rapid
infiltration of water. The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake
caused widespread landsliding and other ground
failure, which caused most of the monetary loss due to
the earthquake. Other areas of the United States, such
as California and the Puget Sound region in
Washington, have experienced slides, lateral spreading,
and other types of ground failure due to moderate to
large earthquakes. Widespread rockfalls also are
caused by loosening of rocks as a result of ground
shaking. Worldwide, landslides caused by earthquakes
kill people and damage structures at higher rates than Earthflow: Earthflows have a characteristic
in the United States. "hourglass" shape. The slope material liquefies and
runs out, forming a bowl or depression at the head.
Landslides and Volcanic Activity The flow itself is elongate and usually occurs in fine-
Landslides due to volcanic activity are some of the most grained materials or clay-bearing rocks on moderate
devastating types. Volcanic lava may melt snow at a slopes and under saturated conditions. However, dry
rapid rate, causing a deluge of rock, soil, ash, and water flows of granular material are also possible.
that accelerates rapidly on the steep slopes of Mudflow: A mudflow is an earthflow consisting of
volcanoes, devastating anything in its path. These material that is wet enough to flow rapidly and that
volcanic debris flows (also known as lahars) reach contains at least 50 percent sand-, silt-, and clay-
great distances, once they leave the flanks of the sized particles. In some instances, for example in
volcano, and can damage structures in flat areas many newspaper reports, mudflows and debris flows
surrounding the volcanoes. The 1980 eruption of are commonly referred to as "mudslides."
Mount St. Helens, in Washington triggered a massive
landslide on the north flank of the volcano, the largest
landslide in recorded times.

Landslide Mitigation -
How to Reduce the Effects of Landslides
Vulnerability to landslide hazards is a function of
location, type of human activity, use, and frequency of
landslide events. The effects of landslides on people
and structures can be lessened by total avoidance of
landslide hazard areas or by restricting, prohibiting, or
imposing conditions on hazard-zone activity. Local
governments can reduce landslide effects through land- Creep: Creep is the imperceptibly slow, steady,
use policies and regulations. Individuals can reduce downward movement of slope-forming soil or rock.
their exposure to hazards by educating themselves on Movement is caused by shear stress sufficient to
the past hazard history of a site and by making produce permanent deformation, but too small to
inquiries to planning and engineering departments of produce shear failure. There are generally three
local governments. They can also obtain the types of creep: (1) seasonal, where movement is
professional services of an engineering geologist, a within the depth of soil affected by seasonal changes
geotechnical engineer, or a civil engineer, who can in soil moisture and soil temperature; (2)
properly evaluate the hazard potential of a site, built or continuous, where shear stress continuously exceeds
unbuilt. the strength of the material; and (3) progressive,
where slopes are reaching the point of failure as
The hazard from landslides can be reduced by avoiding other types of mass movements. Creep is indicated
construction on steep slopes and existing landslides, or by curved tree trunks, bent fences or retaining walls,
by stabilizing the slopes. Stability increases when tilted poles or fences, and small soil ripples or ridges.
ground water is prevented from rising in the landslide
mass by (1) covering the landslide with an
impermeable membrane, (2) directing surface water
away from the landslide, (3) draining ground water
away from the landslide, and (4) minimizing surface
irrigation. Slope stability is also increased when a
retaining structure and/ or the weight of a soil/rock
berm are placed at the toe of the landslide or when
mass is removed from the top of the slope. Lateral Spreads: Lateral spreads are distinctive
 Geological Survey Contacts because they usually occur on very gentle slopes or
flat terrain. The dominant mode of movement is
For more information about landslides visit the USGS
lateral extension accompanied by shear or tensile
Landslide Programs website. For information about
fractures. The failure is caused by liquefaction, the
landslides in your local area contact the geological
process whereby saturated, loose, cohesionless
survey for your state or country.
sediments (usually sands and silts) are transformed
from a solid into a liquefied state. Failure is usually
triggered by rapid ground motion, such as that
experienced during an earthquake, but can also be
Find it on Geology.com artificially induced. When coherent material, either
bedrock or soil, rests on materials that liquefy, the
upper units may undergo fracturing and extension
and may then subside, translate, rotate, disintegrate,
or liquefy and flow. Lateral spreading in fine-grained
materials on shallow slopes is usually progressive.
The failure starts suddenly in a small area and
spreads rapidly. Often the initial failure is a slump,
but in some materials movement occurs for no
apparent reason. Combination of two or more of the
above types is known as a complex landslide.

The original USGS fact sheet was compiled and

designed by Lynn Highland and Margo Johnson.
http://geology.com/usgs/landslides/, 24/05/2014