Mass Wasting

Italy has several examples of mass wasting; the country experiences a myriad of landslides throughout its regions. Two examples of mass wasting are noted in La Spezia which is located in northern Italy and Maierato which is located in southern Italy.

 

In La Spezia Italy, several floods and debris flows occurred which caused destruction to the surrounding environment. Rain fall exceeded “400mm” triggering the debris fall, which carried mud, rocks, trees, and other materials down the slope of the mountain. Most debris falls happen because water puts pressure between the soils causing particles to separate. This allows the soil, or mud, to flow down the slope gaining velocity due to gravity.

 As the soil travels down the mountain it picks up rocks and other materials mixing it with the mud and creating a debris flow. Debris flows are categorized as such because they are composed of mud and a lot of rock debris. The debris flow was fast enough and carried material large enough to even knock over a truck.

 

Another example of mass wasting is seen in Maierato Italy. In this town a landslide most likely occurred because of the “heavy” rain that the region experienced. The landslide is estimated to have a “run out distance of 1.2 km”.  The excessive rainfall most likely impacted a place of weakness on the slope causing a translational slide to occur. Once the soil broke loose it was mixed with water and other materials. These materials were further accelerated by gravity and eventually formed a mudflow. The mudflow is identified as such because there was mostly mud that flowed down the slope with little rock debris.

The town of Mierato before the landslide

The town of Maierato after land slide.

A closer look at the landslide can be noted through videos made by witnesses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nx-gYYRu5I

 

Mass wasting has an effect on people due to the damage it can cause. In the Maierato landslide nobody was hurt but the destruction of the environment and the relocation of the people who lived around the landslide had fiscal impacts. Mass wasting can place people in danger as well as have an effect on them fiscally.

 

La Spezia

Information retrieved from: http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2011/10/26/floods-and-landslides-in-italy-yesterday/

Pictures retrieved from: http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2011/10/26/floods-and-landslides-in-italy-yesterday/

Maierato
Information retrieved from: http://www.springerlink.com/content/43ru3g5082171p45/

Pictures retrieved from: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=43160