Landslides| Class 11 Geography Notes

Landslide is a subpart of the Class 11 Geography Chapter Natural Hazards and Disasters: Causes, Consequences, and Management. This subpart describes the Landslide and the different factors related to it. A landslide is a natural hazard that is caused by the mass movement of different natural materials like rock and soil. It is a natural process of erosion. The landslide happens due to disturbances in the stability of a slope when gravity overcomes it through the friction force.

In this article, we are going to discuss the Class 11 Notes Geography on Landslides in detail.

Types of Landslides

Four types of landslides can caused by due to different reasons. Let’s discuss this in detail.

Falls Landslides

A fall landslide happens when some material collapses from a cliff or a steep slope. In this type of landfall, the elements start to free fall by bouncing and rolling.

Topple Landslides

The Topple Landslides happens due to the rotation of the rock or earth that forwards far away from the slope. This type of landslide is slow and needs a steep slope to slide.

Slides Type Landslide

This type of landslide happens when the materials move through the downslope along with the slip surface. These landslides are deeper than other types of landslides.

Spread Type Landslide

Spread Type Landslide happens when the mass movement happens to the downwards on a particular slope. This type of landslide happens in the hillslopes.

Causes of Landslide

There are so many causes of the landslide as mentioned below.

• There are so many geological factors responsible for the landslide including the steep slopes, unstable rock formations, and weak soil structures.
• Different human activities like illegal construction, mining, deforestation, and excavation of slopes can cause landslides.
• Earthquakes are another natural disaster that can also cause the landslide. The earthquake shakes the ground and disrupts the stability of the slopes.
• Unammounted rainfall may rupture the soil structure and make it unstable.
• Different volcanic activities also shake the ground and make unstable the soil structure.

Landslide Prone Area and Vulnerability Zones

There are some Landslide Prone Area and Vulnerability Zones as mentioned below.

Very High Vulnerability Zones

Very High Vulnerability Zones are highly unstable areas that also receive high rainfall and earthquakes.

Examples: Himalayas, Andaman, Nicobar, North East Region, Western Ghats and Nilgiri.

High Vulnerability Zones

High Vulnerability Zones are the less unstable and other factors are much more lower than the Very High Vulnerability Zones.

Examples: Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Bihar.

Moderate and Low Vulnerability Zones

Moderate and Low Vulnerability Zones are the fewer precipitation areas and some places that fall under them, contain the mining areas.

Examples: Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Kerala.

Class 11 Notes Geography Landslides- FAQs

What is landslide Class 11 geography?

A landslide is described as a mass of rock, debris or earth moving down a slope. Landslides are a form of mass waste under the direct influence of gravity, that indicates any down-slope movement of rock and soil.

What are the 3 major factors of landslide?

Landslides have three major causes: geology, morphology, and human activity. Geology refers to characteristics of the material itself. The earth or rock might be weak or fractured, or different layers may have different strengths and stiffness. Morphology refers to the structure of the land.

What are 2 facts about landslides?

Landslides occur in all 50 states and territories where they affect lives, property, infrastructure, and the environment. Landslides are the downslope movement of earth materials (rock, debris, and soil) at rates that range from inches per year to tens of miles per hour.

What is the biggest landslide in history?

The largest subaerial (on land) landslide in Earth’s recorded history was connected with the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state, USA.

What are the characteristics of a landslide?

The landslide-debris movement and accumulation process involves complex mechanical behaviors such as sliding, collision and accumulation, and is characterized with large deformation and large displacement. The deposit is mainly caused by the rapid accumulation of rock and soil.

How can landslides affect the earth?

Landslides can overwhelm, and even pollute streams and waterbodies with excess sediment. In extreme cases they can dam streams and rivers, impacting both water quality and fish habitat. Landslides can wipe out large tracts of forest, destroy wildlife habitat, and remove productive soils from slopes.

What are the effects of landslides in India?

Some of the key impacts of landslides can be seen as follows: Loss of human and animal lives. Damage to infrastructure and properties such as homes, roads, etc. They can bury or wash away agricultural land, thus affecting agriculture.