WEEK 8: MASS WASTING EVENTS

 

Mass Movements: Causes & Types - The Geo Room

Many people who have not taken geology courses may not know what mass wasting is. Mass wasting occurs when there is a downslope movement of the earth's elements due to gravity as shown in the image above. Most people know mass wasting as landslides, mudslides, and or rockfalls. These could active when there is intense rainfall, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and more. My country Cuba is at high risk when it comes to mass waste due to the large mountains and tropical climate that receives tons of rainfall. Another huge problem that makes cuba vulnerable to landslides is climate change. The ongoing issue of climate change impacts each biome differently and for cuba it is likely that it will affect bedrock stability and slope through temperature and/or precipitation. Overall my country will have some landslides due to the terrain and other external factors. According to the article, "Tarps and plastic sheeting  are often used to drain water off of slide bodies and prevent infiltration into the slide. Drains are used to dewater landslides and shallow wells are used to monitor the water content of some active landslides." FEMA also provides a list of protective actions, people can use to stay safe during this time. The list is the following:

  • Avoid building near steep slopes, close to cliffs, near drainage ways, or stream channels. 
  • If the area has had previous slides, seek a professional evaluation and recommendations. Consider in construction plans and prepare your property to mitigate potential impact.
  • Plant ground cover on slopes; build channels or deflection walls to direct the flow around buildings. Engineered structures for debris-flow diversion or retention should be designed by professionals to avoid potential impacts on neighbors and liability.
  • Install flexible pipe fittings to avoid gas or water leaks. Flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage.
  • You can't stop or change the path of a debris flow. However, you may be able to protect your property from floodwaters or mud by use of sandbags, retaining walls or k-rails (Jersey barriers).



 





Sources Cited: 

https://thinkhazard.org/en/report/63-cuba/LS

https://opengeology.org/textbook/10-mass-wasting/#:~:text=It%20could%20be%20rapid%20snowmelt,most%20common%20mass%2Dwasting%20trigger.

https://community.fema.gov/ProtectiveActions/s/article/Landslide-Mitigation-Property#:~:text=Plant%20ground%20cover%20on%20slopes,avoid%20gas%20or%20water%20leaks.

Comments

  1. Alejandro QuijadaOctober 13, 2024 at 6:42 PM

    You’ve given a great overview of mass wasting and how it affects Cuba especially when you wrote about the rainfall and climate change. I related to a majority of this post because my country Singapore has a lot of these same issues.

    ReplyDelete

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