When Does Slumping Occur?

Slumps often happen when a slope is undercut, with no support for the overlying materials, or when too much weight is added to an unstable slope. Figure 1. Slump material moves as a whole unit, leaving behind a crescent shaped scar.

Where do slumps occur?

Slump is common where clay-rich materials are exposed along a steep slope. Such oversteepend slopes naturally occur on the outside of meanders along the Red River. Slump is typically identified as the downward movement of a block of earth material along some curved surface of failure.

How does slumping happen?

A slump is a form of mass wasting that occurs when a coherent mass of loosely consolidated materials or a rock layer moves a short distance down a slope. ... Causes of slumping include earthquake shocks, thorough wetting, freezing and thawing, undercutting, and loading of a slope.