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Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology pp 1–8Cite as

Mass Movement

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Synonyms

Avalanche; Landslide; Mass wasting; Slope failure; Slope instability

Definition

Mass movement represents a broad spectrum of gravity-dominated down slope movements of snow, ice, water, soil, debris, and rock comprising submarine and terrestrial landslides, including soil creep, and snow avalanches.

Introduction

Mass movement is the displacement of material down slope under the force of gravity, and the material involved can include any combination of snow, ice, water, soil, debris, and rock. However, this relatively straightforward definition could be taken to include a multitude of processes that are not usually regarded as part of mass movement studies. The movement of water, containing minimal sediment load, down hill slopes and in rivers where the flow is primarily a function of fluid dynamics should be excluded from the definition of mass movement, as this is part of fluvial geomorphology and...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SoGEES University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK

    James S. Griffiths

Authors
  1. James S. Griffiths
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to James S. Griffiths .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Kanata, Ontario, Canada

    Peter T. Bobrowsky

  2. London, United Kingdom

    Brian Marker

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Griffiths, J.S. (2016). Mass Movement. In: Bobrowsky, P., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_196-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_196-1

  • Received:

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-12127-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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