What is a landslide, and what causes them?
A landslide is defined as “the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope”. (Cruden, 1991). Landslides are a type of “mass wasting” which denotes any down slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity. The term “landslide” encompasses events such as rock falls, topples, slides, spreads, and flows, such as debris flows commonly referred to as mudflows or mudslides (Varnes, 1996). Landslides can be initiated by rainfall, earthquakes, volcanic activity, changes in groundwater, disturbance and change of a slope by man-made construction activities, or any combination of these factors. Landslides can also occur underwater, causing tsunami waves and damage to coastal areas. These landslides are called submarine landslides. Failure of a slope occurs when the force that is pulling the slope downward (gravity) exceeds the strength of the earth materials that compose the slope. They can move slowly, (millimeters per year) or can move quickly and disastrously
