How Does Rainfall Influence the Stability of Natural Slopes - Dissertation Example

It also helps strengthen the soil shear strength. The mechanical properties of the soil must be evaluated in order to estimate the tensile strength of the soil.Let us move on to the topic of how water infiltrates slopes and how much runs off. There are natural slope processes. Slope changes are caused by erosion and soil movement. Erosion can be caused by the wearing away of soil, or weak soil, the breaking, and moving of rock, and the movement of water. Understanding Your Property (n.a., n.d.). speaks mainly about of coastal slopes; however, the following will give you an idea of erosion and slopes:Many infiltration studies have been performed.

Some studies have been performed on different types of terrain such as ridges, side slopes, and stream channels. According to the Freesearch Dictionary (n.d.), to infiltrate means, “to move slowly into a substance into a substance, place, system, or organization”. Water infiltrates more through certain kinds of rocks and places with less soil cover than areas with more soil coverage. The soil is able to store more water. Evaporation and plant transpiration are better achieved when the soil and vegetation are deep.

Deep soil and vegetation allow for evaporation and plant transpirationbecause they hinder infiltration. Obviously, slopes that are steep encourage a very fast runoff. Rapid runoffs limit infiltration. Due to this, low slopes and less soil-covered areas allows more water to infiltrate.Basic Ground Water Hydrology (1986) explains the meanings of infiltration and runoff as “When precipitation percolates into the soil it is called infiltration; when it flows across the ground it is called surface runoff.

The amount of precipitation that infiltrates, versus the amount that flows across the surface, varies depending on factors such as the amount of water already in the soil, soil composition, vegetation cover and degree of slope.”