How does material typically move downslope?

Material typically moves downslope through processes categorized as fall, slide, and flow, which encompass the various ways that gravity affects sediments and rock debris.

Fall refers to the vertical dropping of materials, such as rocks or soil, often seen in steep terrains where gravity causes materials to break away and descent rapidly. Slide refers to a more cohesive movement, whereby a mass of material moves together down a slope, often along a defined plane of weakness. This process can occur in landslides or rockslides. Flow describes a process where material behaves more like a fluid, allowing it to move downslope continuously, often influenced by factors like saturation from water. This can be observed in mudflows or debris flows, where material is saturated and flows together.

These three mechanisms are fundamental in understanding how landscapes evolve over time due to gravitational forces. The other options, while related to movement and geological processes, do not encapsulate the core methods of downslope movement as effectively as fall, slide, and flow do. For instance, erosion and transport pertain more to the removal and relocation of material rather than the specific ways it moves downhill. Meanwhile, rolling and spinning describes a more specific and less common movement that isn't as broadly applicable to general mass movement. Earthquake activity