Slope failure, also referred to as mass wasting , is the downslope movement of rock debris and soil in response to gravitational stresses. Three major types of mass wasting are classified by the type of downslope movement. The types of movement, falls, slides, and flows , will be covered in this module. In addition, another type of ground failure, subsidence , will be covered. Take a Virtual Field Trip to the Slumgullion landslide .
Movement can be very, very slow , barely perceptible over many years.
Or, movement can be devastatingly rapid, apparent within minutes. Whether or not slope movement occurs depends on slope steepness and slope stability. Some slopes are gently rounded, while others are extremely steep. Profiles of naturally-eroded slopes are primarily dependent on climate and rock type . Resistant rock and rock from semi-arid regions have similar profiles because in both cases chemical weathering is slow.