![soilfracture](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk9956/files/media/images/soilfracture.jpg)
Some cynics might generalize geomorphology and say that it all boils down to "stuff gets round and moves downhill". Okay, so in a VERY broad sense this is true, but the processes by which "things move downhill" are pretty cool. There is a whole range of processes, from very small-scale movements to large, deep-seated landslides, but we'll focus on a few of the more common ones that one can observe on the eastern end of Santa Cruz Island.
![soilcreep](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk9956/files/media/images/soilcreep.jpg)
These small fractures in the soil at ridge crests tell an interesting story. Periods of intense precipitation saturate the ground- this added weight of water causes the soil to swell and move slowly downslope. As the soil dries out, it contracts and forms these roughly contour-parallel fractures. Repeat this process enough times, and eventually the soil will begin to creep downhill. Which leads to...
![landslide](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk9956/files/media/images/landslide.jpg)
As the slopes get steeper, this same process of saturation and drying causes large areas of the soil to slowly slip downhill. This slow motion is called "creep". Although- sometimes this motion of material downslope happens on a more rapid timescale, leading to...
Landslides occur when some sort of trigger (over-saturation by intense precipitation, de-vegetation, earthquake, etc.) loosens a large portion of the hillslope. Gravity then takes over, and over a very short time span (in some cases, instantaneous) large amounts of material move downhill.
![s](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk9956/files/media/images/s_34.png)