Chapter 2 Slope Movement Types and Processes
DavidJ. Varnes
This chapter reviews a fairly complete range of slope- having some usefulness in emphasizing features pertinent movement processes and identifies and classifies them ac- to recognition,avoidance, control, correction,or other pur- cording to features that are also to some degree relevant to pose for the classification. Among the attributes that have their recognition, avoidance, control, or correction. Al- been used as criteria for identification and classification though the classification of landslides presented in Special are type of movement, kind of material, rate of movement, Report 29 (2.182) has been well received by the profession, geometry of the area of failure and the resulting deposit, some deficiencies have become apparent since that report age, causes, degree of disruption of the displaced mass, re- was published in 1958; in particular, more than two dozen lation or lack of relation of slide geometry to geologic partial or complete classifications have appeared in various structure, degree of development, geographic location of languages, and many new data on slope processes have been type examples, and state of activity. published. The chief criteria used in the classification presented One obvious change is the use of the term slope move- here are, as in 1958, type of movement primarily and type ments, rather than landslides, in the title of this chapter of material secondarily. Types of movement (defined be- and in the classification chart. The term landslide is widely low) are divided into five main groups: falls, topples, used and, no doubt, will continue to be used as an all- slides, spreads, and flows. A sixth group, complex slope inclusive term for almost all varieties of slope movements, movements, includes combinations of two or more of the including some that involve little o-r no true sliding. Never- other five types. Materials are divided into two classes: theless, improvements in technical communication require rock and engineering soil; soil is further divided into de- a deliberate and sustained effort to increase the precision bris and earth. Some of the various combinations of move- associated with the meaning of words, and therefore the ments and materials are shown by diagrams in Figure 2.1 term slide will not be used to refer to movements that do (in pocket in back of book); an abbreyiated version is shown not include sliding. However, there seems to be no single in Figure 2.2. Of course, the type of both movement and simple term that embraces the range of processes discussed here. Geomorphologists will see that this discussion com- prises what they refer to as mass wasting or mass move- Figure 2.2. Abbreviated classification of slope movements. ments, except for subsidence or other forms of ground (Figure 2.1 in pocket in back of book gives complete classification sinking. with drawings and explanatory text.) The classification described in Special Report 29 is here T Y P E OF M A T E R I A L extended to include extremely slow distributed movements TYPE OF MOVEMENT ENGINEERING SOILS BEDROCK of both rock and soil; those movements are designated in Predominontly coOrse Predominontly fine many classifications as creep. The classification also in- FALLS Rock lou Debris toll Earth toll TOPPLES Rock topple Debris topple Earth topple cludes the increasingly recognized overturning or toppling Rock Slump Debris slump Earth Slump ROTATIONAL FEW UNITS failures and spreading movements. More attention is paid SLIDES Rock block slide Debris block slide I Earth block Slide TRANSLATIONAL to features associated with movements due to freezing and Rock slide Debris slide Earth slide thawing, although avalanches composed mostly of snow LATERAL SPREADS Rock Spread Debris np,eod I Earth spread Rock flow Debris flow