Slope failure

Imagine you are building a sandcastle at the beach. You start by piling up sand into a big hill, then smoothing and shaping it into a castle shape. But if you keep adding too much sand on top, the sand castle gets too heavy and collapses, or slides, downhill. That's kind of like what slope failure is.

Slope failure happens when a hill, or slope, has too much weight or pressure on it, and it can't hold up anymore. This often happens after a big rainstorm or other event that makes the soil or rocks unstable. The weight of the soil or rocks can cause them to slide, like the sandcastle did, downhill. This can be very dangerous for people and buildings that are nearby, because the sliding soil or rocks can cause damage or even hurt people.

Engineers and scientists study slope failure to try to understand what causes it and how to prevent it. They might build retaining walls, or use special techniques to reinforce the soil or rocks, so that they can resist the weight and pressure better. But sometimes, despite their best efforts, slope failure can still happen, so it's important to be aware of the risks and to take necessary precautions to stay safe.