A
landslide, also known as a
landslip, is a
geological phenomenon that includes a wide range of ground movements, such as
rockfalls, deep failure of
slopes, and shallow
debris flows. Landslides can occur in offshore,
coastal and onshore environments. Although the action of
gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, there are other contributing factors affecting the original
slope stability. Typically, pre-conditional factors build up specific sub-surface conditions that make the area/slope prone to failure, whereas the actual landslide often requires a trigger before being released.