Mass wasting is the movement of material downslope either through the assistance of mass movement or water erosion and solute transport. Mass movement is the movement of material downslope in reaction to gravity and without the assistance of moving water, ice, or air (Summerfield, 1991). Water erosion can range from the impact of a rain drop to large gullies capable to transporting large amounts of material. Water can also dissolve materials beneath the surface and create either a cavity collapse or settlement of the surface. This website will look at some examples of mass wasting within Dona Ana county, NM. Each site will have a brief description of the processes involved and will also have some references for further reading.
The map below shows the locations of mass wasting processes in Dona Ana county. Click on a mass wasting site (red dot) to jump to a description of the mass wasting process at that location. You can also follow the links below the map to read more about specific mass wasting proceses.
