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Contents of 15.1 What are the characteristics of mass movements?

15.1 What are the characteristics of mass movements?

• The criteria of classification
• Distinguishing the materials in motion
• Rock, versus debris, versus earth
• Rock is, of course, rock irrespective of size
• Debris is coarse-grained; 20-80% being >2 mm in size
• Earth, 80% or more are <2 mm in size
• The type of motion
• Free fall - just as it sounds, material falls through the air, or bounces, and rolls downslope
• Slide - material (either rock or regolith) that slides along a rupture surface
• Flow - continuous movement of rock, regolith, or both that behaves as a high-viscosity liquid