Weathering causes many small individual erosion events to take place.  We can think of this as bits of rocks falling off a cliff face one by one and piling up in a talus slope at the bottom of a cliff.  Mass wasting, on the other hand, is a mass movement of many pieces of soil and/or regolith all at once, resulting in an accumulation of colluvium at the base of the slope.  In both cases this downhill movement is caused by gravity.  Your text book discusses the differences between various forms of mass wasting including soil creep, earth flows, rotational slumps, mudflow/debris floods, landslides and rockfalls (pages 342 -346).  Variables such as material type, rock strength, soil moisture, temperature, and slope inclination will affect the type of mass wasting event.  They will also affect the travel distance of the colluvium.  Factors such as the amount of water present will affect the distance colluvium can flow, but in other situations the material type and thickness can trap a layer of air beneath itself, which will increase the distance it can travel.  The absence of these situations would result in shorter travel distances.

• Focusing on the top section of the slope at our study site, what angle would you estimate the inclination to be (highlight one) (1) – 5˚, 15˚, 45˚, 90˚
• Using the height of the slope as a relative measurement, how far did the colluvium travel from the slope (highlight one) (1) – 1X, 2X, 4X, 8X

Part VI – Role of coastal action

Our study site is affect by coastal zone erosion as it is part of the intertidal zone of the Bay of Fundy.  Here the highest tides in the world rise and fall twice a day.  More specifically the tidal range at our study site during spring tides is about 11 m.  During neap tides the range is reduced to about 7 m.  This results in ocean waves attacking the colluvium at our study site twice daily, reaching different heights depending on the cycle of the tides.  The reach of the marine hydrosphere brings further erosional capabilities.

• Although the tide is low in our virtual study site tour footage, there are several indicators of the tide’s reach (highlight applicable) (3) – driftwood, sorted clastic material, algae, barnacles
• How are the shapes of the colluvium rocks different in the intertidal zone?  Are they (highlight one) (1) - Angular with sharp edges, Angular with rounded edges, Rounded, or Flat

Part VII – Mass Wasting Profile

Now that you’ve made some basic observations of our study site, in 200 words or less write a short profile that tells us what type of mass wasting event occurred here, if it is old or fresh, and what might happen in the future at this site, maybe 50 to 100 years from now.  Provide evidence for your profile summary. (4)

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Weathering n n Weathering is the disintegration of rocks soil and minerals under the influence of physical heat pressure and chemical leaching oxidati... View the full answer