Some landslides proceed at a snail's pace downslope, causing property damage.
Others, however, gain a catastrophic momentum and often claim lives. In order to address this question, R. M. Iverson of the U.S. Geological Survey and his colleagues made a mock mountainside from a tilted concrete platform covered with soil. The results were dramatic. A high-speed flow ensued. Frictional strength thus increased, leading to a creeping flow.