Mass wasting refers to the downhill movement of soil and rock due to gravity. Most of the time, mass wasting is commonly associated with a landslide (Shi et al., 2016). However, a landslide is a general term under mass wasting characterized by a quick movement of geological elements. During a mass-wasting event, the loose elements attached to the overlying soils move, resulting in the downhill change of the matter.
Mass wasting is different from other erosional processes such as glaciers and streams. The other processes involve physical elimination and transference of weather-beaten material by water, gravity, wind, or ice. In mass wasting, only soil and rock move due to gravity. Mass wasting can be classified as a form of erosion that works with the other erosional agents mentioned above, such as wind, water, and ice (Shi et al., 2016).
The other significant difference is that mass wasting results in extensive variations to the land compared to other erosional processes that do not have a significant alteration to the landscape. Mass wasting is triggered by several factors, as listed and described below: i. Arrangement of slope material: mass wasting is highly susceptible to slopes characterized by shale and clay compositions. The reason is clay holds water for a long time hence averting water from defalcating through the ground. ii. Regional climate conditions: mass wasting cases are highly evident in the springtime because water saturation, melting of snow, and runoff of water are at the climax (Zyabrev, 2017).
Additionally, moist climates are likely to have slides that can activate mass wasting. iii. Gravity: this is the driving force for mass wasting responsible for pulling things on earth. Regions in the world where the topography is likely to impact mass wasting cases include Russia and Italy. For example, in Italy, there are heavy rains that collapse bridges in places such as Genoa, which is in the northeastern part of the country (Zyabrev, 2017). Mass wasting can be controlled by engineering solutions such as retaining walls and terracing slopes, among other remedies. Rock falls can be controlled by trimming back slopes to a moderate gradient.
References
Shi, X., Oberst, J., & Willner, K. (2016). Mass wasting on Phobos triggered by an evolving tidal environment. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(24), 371-379. Web.
Zyabrev, S. (2017). Seamount subduction likely provoked prolific mass wasting on the slope in the central part of the East Sakhalin accretionary wedge, eastern Russia. Island Arc, 24(3), 282-287. Web.