Summary
The outermost layer of the Earth consists of different materials, comprising rock, soil, organic matter, and other earth materials that together are called regolith. This regolith forms by the breakdown of solid bedrock, through processes of chemical, biological, and mechanical weathering. In rare and dramatic instances, large sections of regolith and even bedrock may suddenly collapse and race downhill, in what is known as a landslide.
Landslides examines the physical characteristics of the regolith, as well as the consequences when regolith moves—either slowly or more suddenly in landslides and avalanches. This comprehensive resource also examines the formation of soil from regolith and underlying bedrock and discusses some of the hazardous elements that are concentrated in soils. With black-and-white photographs, a glossary, tables, and further reading, this helpful reference is an essential tool for middle and high school students.
Chapters include:
- Weathering and the Formation of Soils
- Hazardous Elements in Soils and the Regolith
- Water in the Regolith: Expansive Clays, Liquifaction, and Groundwater Pollution
- Mass Wasting Processes
- Undersea Landslides
- Landslide Disasters
- Reduction of Landslide Hazards and Damages.
Specifications
Black-and-white photographs and line illustrations. Index. Glossary. Further reading. Web sites. Sidebars. Tables.
About the Author(s)
Timothy Kusky holds a Ph.D. degree in Earth and planetary sciences from Johns Hopkins University, and is the Paul C. Reinert Professor of Natural Sciences at Saint Louis University in Missouri and the director of the Center for Environmental Sciences in St. Louis. He has published more than 600 research papers and articles in journals such as Science, Journal of Geophysical Research, and Tectonics, and more than 20 books including Geological Hazards. Kusky is also the author of Facts On File's acclaimed Encyclopedia of Earth Science.