Change the shape of mountains
As a consequence of rain and storms, water fell in a more or less uniform way down the slopes and the rocky walls of the mountains, changing and breaking the rocks into many fragments. Those fragments fell towards the bottom of the mountains due to the force of gravity, forming piles of debris called debris layers.
Debris layers can be easily recognized at the bottom of rocky walls on the Dolomites.
Movements and landslides
Chemical alterations and the degradation of rocks on a slope facilitate the force of gravity. This leads to the slope moving fast or slowly towards the bottom of the mountain. Landslides are the rapid movement of compact rocks, debris masses, large quantities of clay and water or a mixture of mud, soil and rock debris. Landslides originate after or during intense rainy periods. Those slopes that are characterized by dry mud after a long period of draught absorb a big quantity of water after a prolonged rain. The muddy material becomes very fluid and heavy and moves at a speed of up to several kilometres an hour. Landslides can be dangerous and have catastrophic consequences.
Special reports
-
13 May 2013
Small steps, great footprints
Have you ever wondered how much space is taken up by an apple or a steak?...
-
28 August 2020
The Earth seen from above: signs of fires
This image was taken by the ASTER sensor installed on the NASA TERRA satellite platform. The image was taken on…
-
15 July 2020
Earth viewed from above
Remote satellite sensing: what it is and what it is used for In the scientific field, the images produced by…
30 April 2019
Urban woods
When walking along a tree-lined avenue in a crowded and traffic-congested city, wrapped up in our daily commitments, we do…
12 April 2019
Easter with extinct friends
Easter Island is shaped like a triangle with three extinct volcanoes placed at the vertices, and has a total area…
-
13 May 2013
Small steps, great footprints
Have you ever wondered how much space is taken up by an apple or a steak?...
-
28 August 2020
The Earth seen from above: signs of fires
This image was taken by the ASTER sensor installed on the NASA TERRA satellite platform. The image was taken on…
-
13 May 2013
Small steps, great footprints
Have you ever wondered how much space is taken up by an apple or a steak?...
From the Multimedia section
Facts
-
Mountains on the Earth
The different landscapes that we analysed in the previous section are distributed...
-
The most populated cities in the world
In the last 50 years the world population has passed from 2.5 billion to 6 billion...
Soil erosion
Just like water, air and other natural elements, the soil may be considered a resource; it is, however, a non-renewable…
-
13 May 2011
Mountains on the Earth
The different landscapes that we analysed in the previous section are distributed...
-
13 May 2011
The most spectacular waterfalls
The highest waterfalls in the world are located in Venezuela...
-
Mountains on the Earth
The different landscapes that we analysed in the previous section are distributed...