2018 Volume 39 Issue 3 Pages 251-262
Current state and issues of terminology related with sediment disaster science were discussed along a history of technical development in disaster prevention measures in Japan. Most of scientific words used for sediment disasters and preventive measures have been interpreted from English or German to Japanese since Meiji-era. Additionally, various terms not only from natural science, such as hydrology, engineering, geology, geomorphology, volcanology, meteorology, but also from social science are used for describing sediment disaster events. When we have imported the technology of preventive measures from overseas, therefore, the various terminology could be mixed with Japanese original technical terms. This article is focusing on the difference between Japan and overseas in the definitions of geological and geomorphological terms related with sediment disasters. The “landslide” and “gully erosion” are typical examples of misunderstanding and/or broad interpretation of original terms by foreign language. To organize the terminology of sediment disasters, we have to clearly identify geomorphology and mass-movement from natural processes, as well, understand those processes are controlled by the combination of material and motion.
