Which mechanism causes mass wasting on steep slopes underlain by thawing permafrost?

💡 Explanation

When permafrost thaws, the active layer becomes saturated, decreasing friction between the soil particles because pore water pressure increases. Therefore solifluction occurs, rather than creep, landslides, or rockfalls, which require different triggers like overburden, seismic activity or progressive weathering.

• Which effect increases phytoplankton concentration when coastal upwelling occurs?
• Which outcome occurs when repeated freeze-thaw cycles saturate high-latitude silty soils on a moderate slope?
• Which outcome is accelerated due to concentrated flow?
• Which mechanism increases lahar hazard during and after stratovolcano eruption sequences?
• Which outcome is observed following increased latent heat release within a Hadley cell?
• Which mechanism causes surface-level convergence of water in the center of ocean gyres?