mass movement
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Active freeze-thaw on the chalk causes rockfalls on this section of the south Dorset coast, England. As the chalk is prized apart, it falls to the ground forming a scree slope. Active scree slopes are characterized by a very white colour (fresh chalk) as well as a lack of vegetation. In contrast, older freefalls and mass movements produce a darker colour and partly vegetated scree slopes.
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In many parts of Britain the evidence of former climates still exists. One of the more common features are terracettes or sheep walks. These are very small ridges or banks, caused by the down slope mass movement of soil. This occurs as a result of the wetting and drying of soil, the freezing and thawing of water in the soil, and the compaction of these ridges by animals, especially sheep.
| Processes that move weathered material on slopes without the action of running water. Movement is due to gravity, and may be on a large or small scale. Different types of mass movement include rockfalls, landslides, soil creep, and solifluction. |
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