colluvial
Hillside debris accumulation
Colluvial describes material that has accumulated at the base of a slope through gravity—loose rock, soil, and debris that gradually creeps or tumbles downhill.
The term appears in geology and soil science: colluvial deposits, colluvial sediment.
Unlike alluvial material, which is transported by water, colluvial material moves primarily under its own weight.
Scattered broken fragments
- talusAnkle's main bone
- screeLoose rock debris
- detritusLoose waste from decay
- accumulationCollected mass over time
regolith · sediment · gravel · clay · silt · loess · drift · wash
Angled terrain or steepness
- hillslopeAngled terrain surface
- pedimentTriangular architectural crowning element
- apronWaist-tied protective garment
- fanAdmirer or air mover
hollow · swale · gully · ravine · escarpment · bluff · terrace · bench
Stealthy, slow movement
- downslopeToward lower elevation
- gravityMutual mass attraction
- weatheringAtmospheric breakdown of materials
- erosionGradual wearing away
denudation · rainwash · runoff · transport · deposition · reworking · mobilization · slumping
Mass of earth falling
- earthflowSlow mass wasting
- rockslideMass of falling stone
- slumpExtended period of decline
- avalancheRapid mountain snow collapse
failure · instability · subsidence · liquefaction · collapse · geohazard · scar · displacement
Nutrient-rich surface earth
- subsoilEarth layer below surface
- humusDecayed organic soil matter
- pedologyStudy of soils
- geotechnicalRelating to soil engineering
texture · permeability · porosity · stratification · unconsolidated · immature · transported · derived
debris
Scattered broken fragments
accumulation · regolith · sediment · gravel · clay · silt · loess · drift · wash · fill
slope
Angled terrain or steepness
- hillslopeAngled terrain surface
- pedimentTriangular architectural crowning element
- apronWaist-tied protective garment
fan · hollow · swale · gully · ravine · escarpment · bluff · terrace · bench
creep
Stealthy, slow movement
- downslopeToward lower elevation
- gravityMutual mass attraction
- weatheringAtmospheric breakdown of materials
erosion · denudation · rainwash · runoff · transport · deposition · reworking · mobilization · slumping · flow
landslide
Mass of earth falling
avalanche · failure · instability · subsidence · liquefaction · collapse · geohazard · scar · displacement · steepness
topsoil
Nutrient-rich surface earth
geotechnical · texture · permeability · porosity · stratification · unconsolidated · immature · transported · derived · overlying