What are the causes for landslides?

Have you ever seen a video of a landslide? Landslides are powerful geologic events that happen suddenly and cause devastation in areas with unstable hills, slopes and cliff sides. Each year in the U.S. read more

The causes of landslides are usually related to instabilities in slopes. It is usually possible to identify one or more landslide causes and one landslide trigger. The difference between these two concepts is subtle but important. read more

Landslides occur when gravity overcomes the force of friction. Several common causes of landslides are: Water: Perhaps the most common trigger of a landslide, water reduces the friction between the bedrock and the overlying sediment, and gravity sends the debris sliding downhill. read more

Landslides have always existed on our planet. Generally classified as mass movements of rock, debris, and soil down a slope of land. While landslides are a naturally occurring environmental hazard they have recently increased in frequency in certain areas due to human activity. read more