Rotational slides

The 1993 landslide at Holbeck Hall, North Yorkshire. The areas of grass show the rotated blocks on landslide. As it developed further it became a debris and mud flow that covered the rocks on the beach below.

A slide type landslide is a down-slope movement of material that occurs along a distinctive surface. If this slip surface is curved the slide said to be rotational.

The slip surface of a rotational landslide tends to be deep. Blocks of failed material can rotate as they fail and can at times be seen to tilt backwards towards the slope.

A good example of a rotational landslide is the Holbeck Hall landslide, in Scarborough North Yorkshire, England. The 1 million tonnes of cliff failed as a rotational landslide over a couple of days in June 1993 and destroyed the Hotel at the top of the cliff. The rotated blocks can be seen as grass covered 'benches' in the photograph.

Single rotational slide

Multiple rotational slide

Successive rotational slides