Landslide classification

There have been known various classifications of landslides and other types of mass wasting.

For example, the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology distinguishes the following types of landslides:

• fall (by undercutting)
• fall (by toppling)
• slump
• rockslide
• earthflow
• rockslide that develops into rock avalanche

The used classification factors

Various scientific disciplines have developed taxonomic classification systems to describe natural phenomena or individuals, like for example, plants or animals. These systems are based on specific characteristics like shape of organs or nature of reproduction.Differently, in landslide classification, there are great difficulties due to the fact that phenomena are not perfectly repeatable; usually being characterised by different causes, movements and morphology, and involving genetically different material. For this reason, landslide classifications are based on different discriminating factors, sometimes very subjective.In the following factors are discussed by dividing them into two groups: the first one is made up of the criteria utilised in the most widespread classification systems that can generally be easily determined. The second one is formed by those factors that have been utilised in some classifications and can be useful in descriptions

A1) Type of movement

This is the most important criteria, even if uncertainties and difficulties can arise in the identification of movements, being the mechanisms of some......
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