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Rockfall Landscape

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Dictionary of Geotourism
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Synonym: Rock avalanche landscape

This is a geomorphic landscape that forms by the collapse of a rock mass in a piedmont (or valley) due to gravity. Rockfalls occur extensively in hard rock masses, especially carbonate rocks, clastic rocks and metamorphic rocks with structural fragmentation or weak layers. In addition to natural rockfalls, some rock avalanches are caused by human activities along railways, roads and open cast mines. The fallen rock that accumulates at the slope edge is called a talus cone. Rock avalanches are very damaging; they can destroy buildings, block traffic and cause serious casualties and property losses.

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(2020). Rockfall Landscape. In: Chen, A., Ng, Y., Zhang, E., Tian, M. (eds) Dictionary of Geotourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_2105

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