Our Shocking Actions!by | 19-04-2013 03:44 |
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I recently read an article that deforestation can cause landslides. I was shocked that a simple action of cutting down trees triggers a ghastly long term effect which has claimed the lives of people! For those who don't know what landslides are and how they are caused, i decided to do an article on it to enlighten other environmentalists. WHAT IS A LANDSLIDE? A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes, and shallow debris flows. Landslides are rock, earth, or debris flows on slopes due to gravity. They can occur on any land which has right condition of soil, moisture, and the angle of slope. Also known as mud flows, debris flows, earth failures, slope failures, etc., they can be triggered by rains, floods, earthquakes, and other natural causes as well as human causes, such as grazing, terrain cutting and filling, excessive development, etc. Because the factors affecting landslides can be geographical or human-made, they can occur in developed areas, undeveloped areas, or any area where the land was changed for roads, houses, buildings, and even for lawns in one's backyard. It is a natural hazard. Famous landslides in history Some of the most famous landslides are the following- the Uganda landslide 2010, the LA Conchita landslide 1996, Manilla landslide 201 , Sinking creek and the Allapian Valley.
How are landslides caused? The causes of landslides are usually related to instabilities in slopes. It is usually possible to identify one or more landslide causes and one landslide trigger. The landslide causes are the reasons that a landslide occurred in that location and at that time. Landslides include geological factors, morphological factors, physical factors and factors associated with human activity. One of the main reasons is deforestation. There are no trees to absorb the rain and thus this affects the soil causing it to collapse.
Gravity is the primary factor in a landslide. Soil on a flat surface does not move. On a slope, gravity alone also may not trigger a landslide. But when another disrupting factor == like rain == comes into play, gravity will pull sediment downhill.
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