Rural environment

The following lines are verbatum quotes from web articles. Click on each line to see the original article.   Landslides occur when the inherent strength of soil or weathered rock is no longer sufficient to resist the forces of gravity acting on the materials. Such a situation can develop from the gradual accumulation of loose materials on a slope, gradual weathering of rocks near the surface, removal of support of tree roots after forest clearing, or increased groundwater pressures from reduced transpiration following clearing or exceptional rainfall events.   The geological origin of the plateau is a lava flow from the Mount Warning volcanic eruption 22 million years ago. Tamborine Mountain rises at the start of the north-east section of the Scenic Rim, the name given to a group of mountains in South East Queensland. There is no reticulated water supply or sewerage system, and residents are dependent on rainwater, bores and septic systems. In Australia, landslides have killed at least 74 people since 1842 and have damaged or destroyed over 200 buildings.