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How is a landslide flow different from a landslide slide?
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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.
In geology, the distinction between a landslide slide and a landslide flow is primarily based on the nature of the movement and the distribution of velocity within the displaced mass.1
- Slides: These involve the displacement of material along one or more discrete shearing surfaces. The movement occurs as a coherent mass, which may be translational (moving along a planar surface) or rotational (moving along a concave-upward surface, such as a slump).1
- Flows: In this type of movement, the distribution of particle velocities resembles that of a viscous fluid. While water is the most common fluidizing agent, trapped air can also play a role.1
It is important to note that the difference between the two is gradational, meaning they exist on a spectrum defined by variations in fluid content, mobility, and movement type. In many real-world scenarios, composite movements that combine both sliding and flowing characteristics are common.1