Read the first half of the article by Brenda Bell "Liquid Earth" . Access it below by clicking on "Liquid Earth", part 1. Note that there are 3 parts-you need to read about halfway through part 2 to complete the assignment (up to the section entitled "The Oddstad Tragedy"). The article was published by the Atlantic Monthly Magazine, and you'll be going to their website.
Then, in <300 words, write a summary. Make sure you address why mass movements are such a common and difficult problem, what types of materials are usually involved, and what types of events commonly trigger them.
And certainly, read the entire article if you're interested!
From the article: Landslides and other
"ground failures" cost more lives and more money
each year than all other natural disasters combined, and their incidence
appears to be rising. Nevertheless, the government devotes few resources
to
their study -- and the foolhardy continue to build and live in places likely
to be consumed one day by avalanches of mud.
Liquid
Earth, part 1
Liquid Earth,
part 2
Liquid Earth,
part 3