Problem 2
Rivers, groundwater, glaciers, wind, and waves can all move and deposit sediment. Geologists refer to these phenomena as agents of erosion. Mass wasting also involves the movement and deposition of sediment, yet it is not classified as an agent of erosion. How is mass wasting different?
Problem 4
Describe at least one situation in which an internal process might cause or contribute to a mass-wasting event.
Problem 9
Mass wasting is influenced by many processes associated with all four spheres of the Earth system. Select two items from the list below. For each, outline a series of events that relate the item to various spheres and to a mass-wasting process. Here is an example which assumes that "frost wedging" is an item on the list: Frost wedging involves rock (geosphere) being broken when water (hydrosphere) freezes. Freezethaw cycles (atmosphere) promote frost wedging. When frost wedging loosens a rock on a cliff, the fragment tumbles to the base of the cliff. This event, rock fall, is an example of mass wasting. Now you give it a try. Use your imagination. \- Deforestation \- Spring thaw/melting snow \- Highway road cut \- Crashing waves \- Cavern formation (see Figure 17.34 , page 583\()\)
Problem 10
When the rail line in the accompanying photo was built in rural Alaska in the \(1930 \mathrm{~s}\), the terrain was relatively level. Not long after the railroad was completed, a great deal of subsidence and shifting of the ground occurred, turning the tracks into the "roller coaster" shown here. As a result the rail line had to be abandoned. Suggest a reason why the ground became unstable and shifted.
