Slope movements in Callejón de Huaylas, Peru

Abstract

Slope movements in Callejón de Huaylas (the Santa River valley) are of different origin according to the variety of their causes. This paper is describing the area of Huascarán Mt. and Cañón del Pato. Rock and ice falls belong to the most well known, but also debris flows and slumps occurred in this area. The high dynamic of the relief in connection with seismic shaking and local heavy rains are the main triggering factors. The slope movements are also of different sizes from huge catastrophes which belong to the most serious in the western hemisphere to local ones which influence daily life in densely populated areas of Peru.