Essay Science

Essay: How does mass movement and floods transform or change landmarks?

Landslides and mudflows are two types of mass movements. Landslides are the most dangerous kind of mass movements as they can contain huge amounts of rocks. A mudflow is a mass movement formed out of water, rock, and soil. More than half of a mudflow consists of water. For landslides and mudflows to take place we need erosion and floods. Erosion is the process by which natural forces move weathered rock and soil from one place to another. A flood is an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines. Landslides, mudflows, floods and erosion are important natural forces that transform landforms.

Landslides occur when rock and soil quickly slide down a steep slope. They mainly occur near railroad tracks, and highways that have been cut through hills or mountains. A landslide recently occurred on January 5 in the Philippines as a result of constant rainfall and the soil became heavily waterlogged; 25 people were killed and 100 people are still missing. Mudflows happen because water and clay content in the soil turns to liquid and begins to flow. They occur after heavy rains in normally dry areas, and also occur on very gentle slopes. A recent example of a mudflow was one that occurred on January 10 near Rio de Janeiro; flooding caused the mudflow, which killed at least eight people. Landslides and mudflows help to transform the earth’s surface in a destructive way because it results in the collapse of a hill or mountainside.

Erosion happens because of wind, ice, water, and gravity which all work to reshape earth’s surface. Both landslides and mudflows are examples of erosion. Wind and water erosion take place at a much slower rate; the Grand Canyon is an example. Floods generally occur after a lot of rain. In Asia during the rainy season floods cause a lot of destruction and death, such as the floods that occurred in Thailand and Australia a few months ago. Both flooding and erosion change the shape of the land because it removes soil, rock and landforms.

Landslides, mudflows, and floods can have a serious impact on the earth. Not only do they change the surface of the earth by destroying or changing landforms, but also through the cycle of erosion and deposition the earth’s surface is built up again. This on-going cycle is important for the creation of new landforms. Mass movements such as landslides and mudflows contribute to the cycle. Without these natural forces the earth wouldn’t be the same.