ABSTRACT
Landslips are the most costly geo-hazard in the world, causing thousands of casualties and billions in monetary losses annually; on well-traveled roads in landslip-prone conditions, the damage to life and property is sometimes devastating, and rainfall-induced shallow landslides, also called “soil slips,” are becoming ever more frequent all over the world. Landslips can therefore occur on dry days during dry seasons. With warming tropical seas, such rainfall episodes are likely to intensify. As deeply weathered tropical shale beds are extensive in the tropics and prone to land slippage, they could produce a higher frequency of landslips in an era of warming climates. The main driving force in most land movements is gravity. In these cases, slope angle, climate, slope material and water contribute to the effect of gravity. Under hot climates with heavy rainfall, rock weathering proceeds rapidly.
