Landslide dam

[1] If the damming landslide is caused by an earthquake, it may also be called a quake lake.

[2] Because of their rather loose nature and absence of controlled spillway, landslide dams frequently fail catastrophically and lead to downstream flooding, often with high casualties.

Compared with catastrophic downflooding, relative slow backflooding typically presents little life hazard, but property damage can be substantial.

As the water level rapidly drops, the uncompensated groundwater hydraulic pressure may initiate additional landslides.

Moreover, the resulting flood may undercut the sides of the river valley to further produce landslides downstream.