Abstract: | It has been often observed that black mud recently formed and accumulated in slip planes that are closely associated with a progressing landslide in Japan. Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that the composition of Fe species in the sliding mud is different from those in the debris rock and bedrock. The sliding mud contains more ferrous iron species, which indicates a relatively stronger reducing condition within the sliding zone than within the host rocks. In addition, the composition of Fe species, the total Fe and the volume of sliding mud also change with landslide development. Therefore, detailed Fe speciation in landslide profiles can be a useful approach to understanding the progress of a landslide and may also predict future sliding as well. |