Field measurements of soil creep

An instrument has been designed to measure soil creep optically with a minimum of site disturbance. The instrument is sufficiently sensitive to detect movement in the soil over periods as short as one month. The results of measurements over a nine month period indicate that movement in the soil occurs in seemingly random directions and that large total movement does not necessarily imply a similarly large downslope movement. It is suggested that measurements of the type reported here are necessary for a satisfactory examination of the process involved in soil creep but that measurements over very long time periods are required for estimates of the rate of downslope transport.