Exam 10: Mass Wasting

Mass movements in which material flows as a viscous fluid or displays plastic movement are termed ____________________.

Creep occurs only on weathered or soil-covered surfaces of moderate slope.

Permafrost lies beneath ____% of the land surface on Earth.

The removal of vegetation is a significant cause of slope failure and mass wasting.

____________________ can be constructed to provide support to the base of a slope. They are anchored into bedrock, backfilled with crushed rock, and provided with drain holes to prevent buildup of water pressure in the hillside.

Overloading of a slope is rarely the fault of human action.

What is meant by the term "flow" when used with reference to mass movements?

A common triggering mechanism for mass wasting is:

The downslope movement of water-saturated surface sediment is called ____________________.

What is shear strength? What factors collectively define a slope's shear strength?

What is the angle of repose for a slope? What forces are acting? What numerical value does this angle have?

Which of the following mass wasting phenomena (flow, slide, fall, creep) has the fastest rate of flow and why?

Creep is most effective and significant in a(n) ____________________ climate.

The type of mass movement that moves the greatest amount of material downslope is:

Because water can be so important in mass movement, what is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways of reducing mass wastage risk and damage?

Mudflows are particularly common in climates that are:

Most mass wasting is enhanced or promoted by:

After gravity, the major cause of mass wasting is:

Rising global temperatures will make construction in permafrost regions more unstable.

A general term for mass movements of Earth is ____________________.