Class Preparation Questions

Mass Wasting  and Material Properties

What factors control the angle of repose of a material?  How do we define cohesion? Friction?  Effective stress?  How does the Mohr-Coulomb equation relate these variables?

Describe how water content controls the physical properties of earth materials.

Describe the following:  fluid, viscosity, plastic, elastic, stress, strain, brittle, failure, elastic limit, yield strength, tensile strength, compressive strength, thixotropic

How are mass wasting phenomena classified?

Describe each of the following:  particle creep, soil creep, rock creep, solifluction, gelifluction, frost creep