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How can humans impact mass movement - Coggle Diagram
How can humans impact mass movement
Footpath trampling
Generally occurs in recreational areas
Many people may go hiking, and wear down the footpaths causing erosion and instability of the soil.
Construction
Weight of buildings puts pressure on slopes
Foundations for buildings, removing material to make room
Cut-and-fill technique takes material from the upper slope and depositing in on the lower slope, making the lower slope unstable as there is no vegetation and soil.
Deforestation
Removal of vegetation weakens slopes as roots help to hold the soil together
Mining
Mining is a key human cause of landslides because of its different operations that produce a huge amount of vibrations, especially blasting techniques and its vibrations that can reach hundreds of meters under the soil surface and poses threat to other areas that are at the risk of sliding.
When mining takes place, the slope foot loses support and forms an uneven slump. An example would be the Aberfan disaster when the by-product of mining began to slip down the hill taking soil and sediment with it.
Quarrying
Removal of large amount of rock leads to weakening of landscapes
Undercutting can cause slumping, sliding and other types of mass movement
Quarrying affects soil and erosion by removing topsoil, which is essential for sustaining vegetation. This leads to soil erosion, destabilizing the landscape
Acid rain
Humans contribute to causing acid rain through exhaust fumes from vehicles, and CO2 is released into the atmosphere. Acid rain is caused by sulphur and nitrogen oxides being released into the air through human activities such as burning fossil fuels
Acid rain causes infiltration and leads to the soil eroding, and this results in the surface of the slope sliding, making it more unstable.
Landslides
Landslides can lead to more landslides as the soil is broken up by the an initial landslide and unvegetated due to removal of plants by this landslide. this means that water is more likely to affect the stability of the slope and lead to a less stable slope.
Coastal Management