How does a block slide move as a single mass?
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landslide
This 1995 landslide at La Conchita, a coastal town in California, swept away a hillside road and destroyed a number of houses.
A block slide is a specific type of translational landslide where a mass of material moves downslope as a single, little-deformed unit.1
Unlike other forms of mass movement that may involve internal shearing or fluid-like flow, a block slide occurs when the displaced material maintains its coherence while sliding along one or more discrete shearing surfaces. This movement typically takes place along structural features, such as a bedding plane or the interface between resistant bedrock and weaker overlying material. Because the mass remains relatively intact during this process, it is distinguished from other slides by its lack of significant internal deformation.1