Mass wasting is classified into four different categories: slides, topples, falls, and flows. Mass wasting events can leave one in awe, or mesmerized at their sheer mass and power displayed. Because of this fact, one should be very aware of his/her surroundings in able to stay away from possible mass wasting events.
The deadliness of mass wasting can be seen in the story of four men from Connecticut who were hiking near Hagerman Peak, 11 miles South of Aspen Mountain on August 25, 2012. The hikers found themselves caught in the middle of an enormous rockslide that left one hiker dead, and placed another in critical condition. Rockslides are mainly composed of large sedimentary rock particles, with a small amount of other debris matter such as ground soil, small plants and sometimes trees. In this case, an exact cause of the rockslide could not be determined, but one can certainly theorize in the name of science.
Location of Rockslide With Respect to Aspen
Rocks
near the peak of a mountain can suffer tremendously through the processes of
weathering, and erosion. Aspen had received large amounts of rainfall in the
weeks leading up to August 25, 2012. This abnormal amount of rainfall caused
the ground soil to lose its rigidity, and become more viscous. Rainfall cut
rills out of the soil, destabilizing it even further. Rocks sitting on top of
the soil began to stress until they finally cracked, in what is referred to as
a Translational Slide. The force of gravity then caused tons of these rocks to
plummet down the steep mountain face. The slide gained momentum and continued
to collect more rock and other debris until it came to rest on a flat rock
face. When the rocks settled, it formed a large group of talus cones (triangular
shaped rock debris characteristic of a slide). These talus cones are responsible for crushing the
hikers beneath them.
Example of Transitional Rockslide
Video of Translational Rockslide
Actual Picture of Hagerman Rockslide with Talus Visible
Works Cited:
"Body
of Hiker Discovered Near Snowmass Mountain."Topnewstoday.org n.pag. Web.
11 Oct 2012. <http://www.topnewstoday.org/i5/6/75/81/img_3181756_620.jpg>.
Mitchell,
Bill, dir. CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Rock Slide Closes TN Highway 64 in Polk Co. Dir. Fairbanks
allen, and . Youtube.com, Film. 11 Oct 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVYGJYnJTi0>.
Allen, Casey. RockslidebasicAfter.
N.d. Photograph. clasfaculty.ucdenver.edu, Denver. Web. 11 Oct 2012.
