Mass Wasting and Sedimentation
Mass wasting is gravity's way of moving rocks and soil downhill after weathering loosens them up. Several factors control when and how this happens, and understanding them can literally save lives.
Water is the biggest troublemaker - it destroys the bonds holding particles together and makes everything heavier. Over-steepened slopes become unstable and prone to sliding, while vegetation removal eliminates the root systems that normally hold soil together.
Earthquakes can instantly trigger massive landslides by shaking loose enormous amounts of material. This is why earthquake-prone areas often face double disasters - the quake itself plus subsequent mass movements.
Finally, sedimentation occurs when moving water slows down and deposits all the sediment it's been carrying. This natural settling process happens in still water as gravity pulls heavier particles to the bottom, forming layers over time.
These interconnected processes work together in an endless cycle - weathering breaks rocks down, erosion moves the pieces, mass wasting helps transport them downhill, and sedimentation deposits them in new locations where the cycle begins again.
Study Hack: Think of these processes as a assembly line: weathering → erosion → mass wasting → sedimentation. Each step prepares material for the next!