Mass Movements Vocabulary

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Mass Movement

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The movement of surface material caused by gravity. It includes various types such as creep, mudflow, earthflow, landslide, rockslide, slump, avalanche, lahar, and rockfall.

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Creep

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A very slow, continuous, and gradual movement of soil or debris down a slope.

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Mudflow

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A rapid flow of mud, often caused by heavy rain or volcanic activity.

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Earthflow

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A flow of fine-grained materials down a slope, slower than a mudflow.

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Landslide

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The sudden and rapid movement of a large amount of earth material down a slope.

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Rockslide

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A type of landslide involving the rapid movement of rock down a slope.

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Slump

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A type of mass movement where a mass of rock or soil moves down a slope along a curved surface.

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Avalanche

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A rapid flow of snow down a slope, often mixed with air and debris.

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Lahar

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A destructive volcanic mudflow on the slopes of a volcano.

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Rockfall

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The free fall of rock from a steep cliff or slope.