In the Sahyadri hill ranges, landslides are commonly observed after continuous heavy monsoon rainfall. What…

In the Sahyadri hill ranges, landslides are commonly observed after continuous heavy monsoon rainfall. What is the main physical reason behind this?
  1. Rainwater cools down rocks making them shrink and explode
  2. Water saturates soil, increasing weight and reducing friction between rock layers
  3. Strong monsoon winds blow entire mountains down
  4. Heavy rain creates vacuum pockets inside mountain rocks

Solution

Heavy rain saturates loose soil on slopes, making it heavy and reducing friction between ground layers, which triggers slope failure.

Asked in: Homi Bhabha Practice

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