What is a hillslope in geology?

Hillslopes are an integral part of the drainage basin system, delivering water and sediment to streams. They range from flat to steep. Commonly, hillslopes form catenas – sequences of linked slope units running from drainage divide to valley floor.

Which soil found on hill slopes?

Answer: Mountain soil is mainly found on the hill slopes. These soils are formed due to mechanical withering caused by snow, rain, temperature variation, etc.

What causes hillslope failure?

Slope failures occur when driving forces overcome resisting forces. The driving force is typically gravity, and the resisting force is the slope material’s shear strength. When assessing a slope’s stability look for indications that physical processes are decreasing shear strength.

What is the hillslope water cycle?

Abstract. Hillslope hydrology is concerned with the partition of precipitation as it passes through the vegetation and soil between overland flow and subsurface flow. Flow follows routes which attenuate and delay the flow to different extents, so that a knowledge of the relevant mechanisms is important.

Why are hillslopes convex?

This model imply sediment fluxes can be estimated from the slope angles (∇z). At low erosion rates increased stream or river incision may make gentle slopes evolve into convex forms. Convex forms can thus indirectly reflect accelerated crustal uplift and its associated river incision.

What do you mean by hillslope?

Hillslopes constitute the flanks of valleys and the margins of eroding uplands. They are the major zones where rock and soil are loosened by weathering processes and then transported down gradient, often to a river channel.

What is the meaning of hill slopes?

A slope is the side of a mountain, hill, or valley. A slope is a surface that is at an angle, so that one end is higher than the other.

What are the main drivers for natural slope failures?

We will describe below some of the main factors that provoke slope failures.

• Erosion. Water and wind continuously erode natural and man-made slopes.
• Rainfall. Long periods of rainfall saturate, soften, and erode soils.
• Earthquakes.

What causes a debris flow?

Debris flows can be triggered in a number of ways. Typically, they result from sudden rainfall, where water begins to wash material from a slope, or when water removed material from a freshly burned stretch of land. Another major cause of debris flows is the erosion of steams and riverbanks.

What is the function of condensation?

Condensation is crucial to the water cycle because it is responsible for the formation of clouds. These clouds may produce precipitation, which is the primary route for water to return to the Earth’s surface within the water cycle. Condensation is the opposite of evaporation.

What happens when water reaches the ground?

Water seeps into the ground much like a glass of water poured onto a pile of sand. As water seeps into the ground, some of it clings to particles of soil or to roots of plants just below the land surface. Water seeping down from the land surface adds to the ground water and is called recharge water.

What does a convex shape look like?

A convex shape is the opposite of a concave shape. It curves outward, and its middle is thicker than its edges. If you take a football or a rugby ball and place it as if you’re about to kick it, you’ll see that it has a convex shape—its ends are pointy, and it has a thick middle.

Where are the hillslopes located in a valley?

In valley: Hillslopes Hillslopes constitute the flanks of valleys and the margins of eroding uplands. They are the major zones where rock and soil are loosened by weathering processes and then transported down gradient, often to a river channel.

What kind of soil is on a hillslope?

Soil profiles on hillslopes. The thickness and composition of soil horizons vary with position on a hillslope and with water drainage. For example, on the upper slopes of poorly drained profiles, underlying rock may be exposed by surface erosion, and nutrient-rich soils (A horizon) may accumulate at the toeslope.

How are hillslopes related to the drainage system?

…both, of suspended sediment), downstream slope, and channel friction. …components of the drainage system—hillslopes and channels—produces sediment. The quantity provided by each, however, will vary during the erosional development of the basin and during changes of the vegetational, climatic, and hydrologic character of the drainage system.

Where are the hillslope located in the earths crust?

Hillslope s constitute the flanks of valleys and the margins of eroding uplands. They are the major zones where rock and soil are loosened by weathering processes and then transported down gradient, often to a river channel.