According to the original post you would first have an understanding of the geologic setting (i.e., bedrock, strike and dip of rock layers, schistocity, soil layers, bedding angles, soil types, whether marine, lacustrine, alluvial, glacial), you would also have some understanding on the nature of surface water flow (i.e., whether there is some overland flow running down the slope, at the toe of the slope) and you would have some understanding on the percent grades down slope. You would also have some understanding on the location of the top and toe of slope.
Important to this whole process is also the overall objective of the slope assessment. Are you building a reservior and want to know whether innundation will trigger slides, are you doing an excavation at the toe to build a road, are you constructing a building at the top, etc.?
If you have the information in (my) paragraph 1, I'd go to the field and look for hummocky topograpy, I'd look for tension cracks, I'd look for bent trees (notwithstanding the earlier comments) and I'd bring a hand auger to confirm desktop soil review. I'd also look at other slopes in the area and document slope grades in similar geologic settings using a clinometer (angle measuring device). If you have a 24 degree slope but other (seemingly) stable slopes are present at 31 degrees, that's good information to document. What this means depends on the geologic setting, however, as a steeper slope may be stable when it crosses bedding as opposed to when it's parellel to bedding.
Slope stability can be a challenge. But a fun one!
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
