What Roles Do Climate and Weathering Play in Mass Wasting - Essay Example

Water affects mass wasting processes. Water reduces adhesive forces been the soil among other debris materials thereby facilitating mass wasting. Additionally, water often has forced large enough to move material including large debris down the stream.

1. Define ‘angle of repose’ and describe its significance in mass wasting. (10)
The downward movement of loose and unconsolidated materials including soil and sediment is often due to the force of gravity. At the point where the soil among other consolidated materials is not moving down the hill, such materials are held in place with frictional force. The point at which the gravitational and frictional force balances is referred to as the angle of repose. This is the maximum angle that a friction force can hold loose material on the surface of the earth not to move downhill. Therefore, angles greater than the angle of repose usually lead to mass wasting and at this point, the force of gravity is slightly greater than the frictional force holding the same materials.

2. Why is creep so prevalent? Why does it do so much damage? (10)
Soil creeping is a long-term mass wasting process and it combines the movement of small and rocky materials in an undirected direction. The movement of such materials is often facilitated by the force of gravity. The creep usually does much damage since it leads to a collection of materials over time especially behind trees; thus, it may lead to landslides triggered mainly by this tree particularly in cases that they lose root footing.