AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Editors' Highlight

Rock types may help determine hillslope steepness and landslide rates

Landslide models in active mountain belts are based predominantly on the idea that hillslopes are limited to a threshold inclination angle by the rate of landsliding. To investigate more about threshold angles, Korup (2008) decided to take a closer look at hillslopes and landslide occurrences in several active mountain ranges in New Zealand. These ranges are composed primarily of rocks that are derivatives of greywacke and schist. All of the mountain ranges studied share a high frequency of hillslope inclination angles despite wide variations in rates of rock uplift and precipitation, landslide density, and deformation due to alpine glaciation. Comparing these angles with those found in other active mountain belts composed of different rock types, the author found that the hillslope angles in these New Zealand mountains are higher, perhaps diagnostic of particular properties inherent in greywacke and schist. On the basis of this, Korup hypothesized that hillslope evolution may adjust to rock-mass strength irrespective of the intensity of tectonic and climatic forcing.

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