mass wasting

American  

noun

Geology.

1. downhill movement of soil and rock fragments induced by gravity.

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Example Sentences

Erosion, driven by gravity, is the inevitable response to that uplift, and various types of erosion, including mass wasting, have created slopes in the uplifted regions.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

However, as we’ll see, some mass wasting can happen even on relatively gentle slopes.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The point here is that our efforts to “prevent” mass wasting are only as good as our resolve to maintain those preventive measures.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Soil can only develop where surface materials remain in place and are not frequently moved away by mass wasting.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The important types of mass wasting are creep, slump, translational slide, rotational slide, fall, and debris flow or mudflow.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015