Mass wasting is best described as which of the following?

• A. The downslope movement of soil and rock due to gravity
• B. Soil creep only
• C. Volcanic eruption of ash
• D. Wind-blown dust transport

Answer: (A)

Mass wasting is the downslope movement of earth material driven by gravity. It encompasses a range of processes from slow creep to rapid landslides and debris flows, often aided by water that lowers the shear strength of the slope. The essential idea is that gravity provides the driving force causing slope failure, moving soil and rock downslope regardless of the transport agent. Other options describe processes that are not gravity-driven downslope movement of bulk material: volcanic eruptions eject ash, and wind-blown dust is transported by wind (aeolian processes). While soil creep can be a form of mass wasting, it is only one slow form among many, not the complete description.