Category
A type of mass wasting
A type of flow
Synonyms
Note
The distinction between slides and avalanches can be unclear and usage of these names in the literature can be ambiguous/inconsistent.
Material and Process
Rock avalanches are a common form of mass movement where the transported material is dry rock or (low-temperature) ice that is fragmented before or during slope failure. This definition excludes debris as source material, but includes any kind of rock, sedimentary, metamorphic, igneous, and also pyroclastic deposits (Hungr et al. 2001). Prevalent on steep slopes, rock avalanches are rapid and often involve the entrainment...
References
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Collins, G.S. (2014). Rock avalanche. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_321-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_321-1
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