HAZARDOUS EARTH - Hazards (more intense), Earth's Natural Hazards, Earth's Natural Hazards Final

Which of the following statements is correct?

***1. The moon affects the Earth's surface temperature through ocean tide 2. Mars has large gravity field and protects Earth from frequency asteroid impacts

Which following statement is WRONG ?

***1. The rotation of tornadoes is mainly due to Coriolis effects 2. Formation of tornadoes often involves air masses moving at different directions 3. Tornadoes are often associated with supercell thunderstorms 4. Wind speed in tornadoes can be up to 500 km/hr

Which statement regarding ancient rift systems in eastern North America today is NOT correct?

***1. They are reactivated by subduction along the eastern edge of the United States. 2. They are reactivated by stress associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean basin. 3. They show thrust (reverse) fault movement due to compressional forces. 4. Earthquakes in New England and New

Earthquakes can cause damage due to all of the following EXCEPT for

***1. fault opens and closes 2. freeway collapse 3. falling buildings 4. fire caused by earthquakes

Which of the following material is formed by viscous lava?

Aa

Explain the concept of adiabatic cooling and adiabatic warming in vertical air movement.

Adiabatic processes take place when there is a temperature change in a mass without adding or subtracting heat. In vertical air movement, adiabatic cooling happens when an air mass rises and expands. In this process, the air use up some of its internal (thermal kinetic) energy because it is doing work to push away surrounding air. This causes a decrease in temperature. Adiabatic warming happens when air descends and compresses.

Which of the following US state experiences most earthquakes?

Alaska

What is an earthquake?

An earthquake is a sudden, brief period of intense ground shaking. The movement of the ground can be both vertical and horizontal.

What is a hazard?

An event which threatens the well being of people and their property.

Which of the following are often used to locate an earthquake?

differences between P-wave and S-wave arrival times at 3 or more seismic stations

location of effusive volcanoes

divergent plate boundaries or hotspots

The term "Cambrian explosion" refers to

dramatic increase in the number and complexity of life forms

direct measurements that are dropped from planes into a cyclone are the most accurate means to understand the properties of a hurricane

dropsondes

is dry or moist air heavier at the same temperature

dry

Which of the following air is responsible for the formation of great deserts between 20 and 30 degree latitudes

dry, warm air descending in the Subtropical High

Climate cycles with periods of about 100,000 years during the last one million years are most probably caused by ___.

earth's orbital changes

Powerful tsunamis are most frequently produced by

earthquakes

conservative boundary features

earthquakes No volcanoes or fold mountains Fault line (tear)- Drainage modified as river courses deflected by movements along faults

what happens to air as it rises

expands and cools

In winter, continents cools ____ than oceans and air pressure over continents is ______ than air pressure over oceans

faster, higher

hotspot

fixed area of intense volcanic activity where magma from a rising mantle plume reaches the Earth's surface.

Which of the following structure may experience most damage during an earthquake?

flexible building on soft sediment

current source of the most greenhouse gas emissions

fossil fuels

effusive eruption frequency

frequent, can continue for months

where do tropical cyclones get their energy

from warm tropical waters

effusive eruption style

gas bubbles expand freely, limited explosive force

material erupted effusive

gas, lava flows

effusive shape of volcano

gentle slopes, lava plateaux from fissure eruptions

why do people live in earthquake zones?

geothermal power is cheap and a clean source climate is good fishing and farming are easy e.g japan

what do you do if you are indoors in a tornado and you do not have a basement

go to an interior room with no windows

if there is a tornado and you are indoors what do you do

go to the basement

why must you be concerned about a tornado when there is hail

hail is caused by cold downdrafts and they could push down a tornado too

Which of the following is a probability?

hazard

if you are in a car during a tornado should you hide under an underpass

hell no

which clouds result in thunderstorms

higher

eye wall

highest wind speed

super cell formation

horizontal sheering, horizontal vortex, updraft, turns to vertical sheer and vertical vortex forms

who has added more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere

humans

The wavelength of Tsunamis waves is in the order of

hundreds of kilometers

The Perfect Storm 3 factors

hurricane from tropics, cold arctic air, warm air/waters from the Gulf Stream

Which of the following energy sources was not important for heating up the Earth during its early formation:

hydrogen fusion

The point at which a fault first ruptures is called:

hypocenter

how do we know about past global temperatures

ice cores

high albedo

ice reflects 90% sunlight and converts only 10% to heat

Moving away from spreading centers in the middle of the ocean, sediment thickness

increases

Moving away from spreading centers in the middle of the ocean, water depth

increases

The distance between the Earth and the Moon has been

increasing

The 1960 Chile earthquake (moment magnitude 9.5) was an earthquake caused by

subduction

Magmas at subduction zone volcanoes have andesitic or rhyolitic composition because

subduction zone magmas rise through continental crust

Deep ocean circulation is mainly driven by

temperature and salinity

explosive eruption style

violent bursting of gas bubbles when magma reaches surface, highly explosive, vent + top of cone often shattered

Geologists have shown that the east coast of the United States faces a serious tsunami threat from

volcanic flank collapse in the Canary Islands

In subduction zones, melting occurs in the mantle because

water content increases

If we record a snapshot of seismic wave field, which of the following can be measured?

wavelength in meters

ocean currents

waves and winds heading into powerful ocean currents may cause a surge of water to rise

merging waves

waves traveling in the same direction at different speeds and their wavelengths combine

3 main debates ongoing related to global warming and climate change

what to do about it? what amount of temperature rise? how much do we balance fighting versus dealing with the economic effects?

when do Nor'easters form

when cold Arctic air collides with warm waters from the Gulf Stream

what causes thunderstorms

when cold air goes beneath a warm air mass

Saffir Simpson Intensity Scale classifies hurricanes based on

wind speed

what happens when hurricanes travel over land

wind speed slows, they lose energy

Surface water circulation in the ocean is mainly driven by

winds

can a hurricane be a cyclone

yes

can a tornado pick up a car

yes

can fires cause a tornado

yes

can rogue waves sink large ships

yes

has it been warmer on Earth in the past

yes

will global warming cause some areas to experience more rain

yes

The figure above shows a syncline which has ____ rocks closer to the center of the structure

younger

low albedo

ocean water reflects 10% sunlight and convert 90% to heat

In the Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment, the distance between the earth and the moon is measured by the time of a laser that travels to the moon and then get reflected back. the distance between the earth and the moon can be calculated using a simple equation Distance = (Speed of light × Time taken for light to reflect) / 2 The laser travels at the speed of light, which is known to be about 300,000 kilometers per second, and the time delay in the reflected light from the moon is about 2.5 seconds. Calculate the distance between the earth and the moon.

***1. 375,000 km 2. 37,500 km 3. 800,000 km 4. 80,000 km

Which following statement is WRONG regarding weather in the US?

***1. Atlantic Ocean air masses have more impact than Pacific Ocean air masses 2. The dominant air mass movement direction is from west to east 3. In winter, high pressure dominates continent US 4. In summer, low pressure dominates continent US

Which of the following statements is correct

***1. GPS measurements can provide important information for earthquake early warning 2. Deeper earthquakes are larger than in magnitude than shallower earthquakes 3. Every large earthquake has significant foreshocks 4. None of the above

Which statement regarding plate tectonics is WRONG?

***1. In the last plate tectonics cycle, India plate has moved southward. 2. Trenches in the oceans are deepest features on Earth. 3. Deep Earthquakes occur in regions where old oceanic plate subduct back to the mantle. 4. There are earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges.

Which following statement is correct?

***1. In the troposphere, air temperature decreases with altitude and the configuration is unstable 2. In the troposphere, air temperature increases with altitude and the configuration is stable 3. In the stratosphere, air temperature increases with altitude and the configuration is unstable 4. In the stratosphere, air temperature decreases with altitude and the configuration is stable

Which of the following statements is correct on the catastrophic impact event responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs.

***1. The event occurred about 65 millions years ago and cause extinction of about 70% of life on earth. 2. The impact occurred in the Indian Ocean 3. The impact caused fire but did not change the climate 4. None of the above

how hot spot volcanism has led to the development of the Hawaiian islands:

- As Pacific plate has slowly moved northwest over the Hawaiian hot spot ( about 10 cm/year), vast amounts of Basalt have accumulated in the ocean floor to produce the Hawaiian islands. - Active peaks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea of the Big Island reach over 4000 m above sea level and rise more than 9000 m above ocean floor. - As the plate moves away from the hot spot, the volcanoes lose their source of magma and become extinct. The hotspot stays in the same place and begins to form another volcano (creating a chain). - Some 30 km southeast of the Big Island, Loihi is slowly rising up from the ocean floor. The summit is currently at 970 m below sea level. - When the magma breaches the surface, the lava cools forming gently sloping sides. The magma is basaltic and has a low viscosity.

evidence from ancient glaciations

- Glacial deposits are found in Antarctica, Africa, South-America, India and Australia - if the continents of the southern hemisphere are re-assembled near South pole, then the Permo-Carboniferous ice sheet assumes a much more reasonable size - If continents hadn't moved, it would suggest an ice sheet extended from the South-Pole to the equator - Glaciation leaves behind evidence of the movement of glaciers such as scratch marks in bedrock called striations - Glaciers can't form over oceans and move onto land - Glaciation leaves behind deposits such as till, which is sediment deposited under a glacier as it retreats

products of effusive eruptions

- Lava plateaux: o when basic magma erupts from multiple fissures, cast areas can be covered by free-flowing lava. o These events are known as flood basaltso eg: the deccan plateau in central India, which covers 500,000 km2. o When first formed, plateaus have slope of 1 degreeo Millions of years of denudation have created varied reliefo No large-scale flood basalts have taken place in last 50 million years - Shield volcanoes: o Most effusive eruptions occur unseen in ocean floor, with Iceland as exception.

products of explosive eruptions

- Most stratovolcanoes contain complex internal networks of lava flows which form minor igneous features such as sills and dykes - Vents are often filled with solidified magma, as acid magma doesn't flow easily. This eventually builds up enormous pressure and erupts explosively, sometimes blowing its top off - Calderas are volcanic craters, usually more than 2 km in diameter. They develop when an explosive eruption destroys much of the core and the underlying magma chamber is largely emptied

fossil records

- Similar fossil brachiopods (marine shellfish) found in Australian and Indian limestones - Similar fossil reptiles found in South America and South Africa - Fossils from rocks younger than the Carboniferous period (250 million years ago), in places such as Australia and India, showing fewer similarities, suggesting that they followed different evolutionary paths.

Paleomagnetism (record of changes in ocean floor)

- Symmetrical patters of geomagnetic reversals on either side of mid-ocean ridges showed that as fresh molten rock from asthenosphere reached ocean bed, older rock was "pushed away" from ridge - Igneous rocks which form oceanic crust and ocean floor originate from lava flows and therefore contain iron particles (basalt) - As lava erupts, it cools, and magnetic orientation of iron particles is locked into the rock, depending on earth's polarity at time - Earth's polarity isn't constant. Every 400,000 to 500,000 years, its polarity changes orientation and is recorded in the rocks on ocean floor.

how landscapes such as the Hawaiian Islands change over time.

- Where volcanism is no longer active, weathering and erosion have broken down the volcanic rocks into deep and fertile soils and valleys carved by rivers. - Harder to recognise the original shield volcano as time passes as denudation takes place as well as large-scale collapses of the flanks of the islands. - Once an island has shifted away from the hot spot by plate movement, it becomes inactive and coral reefs develop around the fringes of the island in warm tropical ocean environments, eg: Oahu is fringed by reefs - Volcanoes will subside over time due to their own weight and the subsidence of the oceanic crust, which is buoyed up by the heating from the mantle plume but cools and subsides as it moves away. - The reefs can grow upward when the volcano subsides to keep up with the rate of subduction which forms a lagoon. Once the island has fully sunk below the ocean a coral atoll remains.

Sea floor spreading

- drilling in a 1960s programme which ivestigated rocks on ocean floor discovered cores in water up to 7km deep. - Thickest and oldest sediments are found near continents - Rock wasn't older than 200 million years, confirming the fact that the ocean crust is recycled - Eventually, sea floor reaches ocean trench where material is subducted into asthenosphere and becomes semi-molten

continental plate

- makes up the earths landmasses. features include: - thicker (25-75 km) than oceanic plates - less dense - made of granitic rock - they do not sink (subduct)

oceanic plate

- makes up the ocean floor. features include: - made of basaltic rock - more dense - only 7-10km thick - they can sink (subduct) under other plates

Ridge push

- molten magma rises at mid-ocean ridge and heats asthenosphere and lithosphere, causing them to elevate above sea floor. - elevation produces slope down and away from ridge .- As newly formed rock cools, it becomes denser and gravity causes heavier lithosphere to slide away from ridge and down asthenosphere. - New magma rises becoming new lithosphere as old one slides away.

Slab pull

-At convergent boundary, denser plate is subducted under lighter plate. - The edge of the subducting plate is much colder and heavier than the mantle, so it continues to sink, pulling the rest of the plate along with it. - The force that the sinking edge of the plate exerts on the rest of the plate is called slab pull.

how much of our atmosphere is made up of greenhouse gasses

.05%

A coin is flipped two times and came up head each time. What is the probability that it will come up a head on the third flip?

0.5

In flat regions, lava flows move at speed in the order of

1 km per hour

Ground shaking during the first tremor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (Magnitude 7.8) lasted for about

1 minute

The first tremor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (Magnitude 7.8) shook the ground for about __.

1 minute

Which of the following statements regarding earthquakes in the US is WRONG?

1. A step in the San Andreas fault results in thrust faults in Los Angeles region. 2. A step in transform faults may not stop rupture propagation. ***3. Subduction is not capable of producing large earthquakes in Washington and Oregon. 4. Slow earthquakes can release some strain energy built up by subduction.

Which following statement regarding hurricanes is WRONG?

1. About 12% of tropical cyclones are formed in the Atlantic Ocean 2. Hurricanes transport heat from low latitude to high latitude ***3. Most hurricanes form at the equator where surface water in the ocean is warmest 4. Air descends and warms up in the hurricane eye

Which following statement is correct?

1. Biotite has higher crystallization temperature than olivine ***2. Continental crust have higher melting temperature than oceanic crust 3. Oceanic crust are more rich in calcium, magnesium and iron than continental crust 4/ None of the above

name three characteristics of dome volcanoes.

1. Contains acid lava which is thicker than lava and cools and hardens before it flows very far. 2. Slow growth means that is it generally non-explosive 3. Steeper sides than shield volcanoes

Which of the following evidence support that continents were once together

1. Fossils of land-living animals found on opposite shores of oceans 2. Evidence of glaciation found across present equator 3. Coastline and geological features of continents match up across oceans ***4. All of the above

Which of the following rotation system does NOT require Coriolis effects?

1. Hurricane **2. Tornado 3. Nor'easter 4. midlatitude cyclone

Which following statement is WRONG?

1. Jet streams are upper level winds and flow from west to east 2. Air convergences occur at ITCZ ***3. Subtropical jet is usually more powerful than polar jet 4. High pressure anticyclone develops east of jet stream ridge

Which following statement is correct?

1. Magma's viscosity increases with increasing temperature ***2. Magma's viscosity increases with increasing silica content 3. Magma's viscosity increases with decreasing mineral crystal content 4/ None of the above

Which of the following statement is WRONG?

1. P waves are push-pull waves and S waves have transverse motion 2. P waves travel faster than S waves 3. S waves do not travel in the Earth's outer core ***4. S waves do not travel in the Earth's inner core

how convection currents cause movement

1. Radioactive decay of some of the elements in the core and mantle generates a lot of heat 2. When the lower parts of the asthenosphere heat up, they become less dense and slowly rise 3. As they move towards top they cool down, become more dense and slowly sink 4. currents drag on base of plate causing movement

Which of the following statements is WRONG?

1. Richter scale magnitude saturates for large earthquakes 2. Surface wave magnitude saturates for large earthquakes ***3. Moment magnitude saturates for large earthquakes 4. Body wave magnitude saturates for large earthquakes

Which of the following statements is WRONG?

1. San Andreas Fault is a transform plate boundary 2. There are spreading center earthquakes in the western US 3. The 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles region was due to rupture on a reverse fault ***4. Most earthquakes in the Basin and Range Province are associated with reverse faults

Which of the statements is correct regarding the Earth's core

1. The Earth's core generates magnetic field 2. Heat from the earth's core powers plate tectonics ***3. Both

Which of the statements is correct regarding the Earth's core?

1. The Earth's core generates magnetic field 2. The Earth's core powers plate tectonics *** 3. Both

Which of the following statement is correct regarding roles the atmosphere play in making the earth a more livable planet

1. The atmosphere protect the Earth from frequent impact of space objects 2. Without the atmosphere, the Earth may have lost much of its water into the space ***3. both

Which of the following statement is WRONG ?

1. The energy that powers the sun comes from nuclear fusion ***2. The temperature at the surface of the sun is in the order of one million degree Celsius 3. The surface of the sun is much colder than the center of the sun. 4. The most abundant element in the solar system is Hydrogen

Which of the following statements is WRONG

1. The magnetic inclination of a rock can be used to determine the latitude of the rock when it was formed 2. The earth's magnetic field has reversed many time in the earth's history 3. Seafloor spreading can explain magnetic stripes of the ocean floor ***4. Older sea floors were formed when there was a magnetic reversal

The most acceptable theory on the formation of the moon involves an early impact of a Mars-size planet with the young earth. Which of the following statements is WRONG?

1. The size of the Earth became larger after the impact. ***2. The gravity of the Earth decreased after the impact 3. The impact theory suggest the moon is made mostly from rocky (mantle) material 4. The impact theory helps to explain the lesser abundance of iron on the moon than on the earth

The most acceptable theory on the formation of the moon involves an early impact of a Mars size planet with the young earth. Which of the following statements is correct

1. The size of the Earth became smaller after the impact. 2. The gravity of the Earth decreased after the impact 3. The size of the impactor did not change much before and after the impact ***4. None of the above

Which of the following processes does NOT involve latent heat ?

1. evaporation 2. condensation 3. freezing ***4. none of the above

Which of the following of Mt Rainier is NOT a concern of Lahars in the Seattle-Tacoma region

1. geological record of large larhars ***2. poisonous gases 3. great height 4. large ice cap

Monitoring volcanic activities includes monitoring all of the following EXCEPT FOR

1. ground deformation 2. volcanic earthquakes 3. gas composition and volume ***4. magma water content change

Which of the following statement is WRONG regarding the Gutenberg-Richter law (logN = a - bM)

1. it describes a linear-log relation between magnitude and the number of earthquakes exceeding the magnitude 2. In regions with smaller a values, the total seismicity is smaller ***3. In regions with smaller b values, the number of earthquakes decreases more rapidly with magnitude 4. The global average of b value is close to 1, this means for every unit of decrease in magnitude, the number of total events (N) increases by a factor of 10.

The laws of sediment deposition does NOT include

1. law of original horizontality - sediments are originally deposited in horizontal layers 2. law of superposition - younger sedimentary rock layers are deposited above older layers ***3. law of deformation -- older sediment layers are more deformed because of isostasy 4. law of original continuity - original sediment layers are continuous

name three characteristics

1. low-lying gentle slopes formed from layers of lava 2.Eruptions are typically non-explosive 3.Produces fast flowing lava that can flow for many miles

What is a constructive/divergent plate margin (processes)?

1. plates move apart, and magma rises through asthenosphere and forces its way to surface 2. As magma rises to surfaces, overlying rocks can be forced up into dome 3. Rigid lithosphere put under great stress and eventually fractures along parallel faults: produces underwater rift valleys found along mid-ocean ridges 4. Magma erupting directly onto sea bed is cooled rapidly, forming rounded mounds called pillow lavas 5. At mid-ocean ridges, sea water seeps into rifts and is superheated. Chemical changes in basaltic rocks occur as it rises towards the surface.

A a result of the 1985 earthquake, many buildings collapsed and killed about 8000 people in Mexico City. Which of the following was NOT important for the damage?

1. resonance between seismic waves and structure 2. improperly designed buildings 3. soft lake-sediment foundations ***4. earthquake epicenter right at Mexico City

Gutenberg-Richter analysis (logN = a bM) can be done in regions with active seismicity, which of the following region has LEAST significant seismic hazard?

1. small a and small b ***2. small a and large b 3. large a and small b 4. large a and large b

Earthquake moment is calculated by multiplying all of the following quantities EXCEPT FOR

1. the shear strength of the rocks 2. the rupture area of the fault 3. the average displacement (slip) on the fault ***4. the Mercalli Intensity at the epicenter

How can volcanoes be prepared for?(three reasons)

1.Hazard maps can be drawn up to show areas at risk 2. Lava flows can be diverted by barriers, water or bombs. 3. Families can prepare emergency supplies such as food and water.

How can volcanoes be predicted? (three reasons)

1.Satellites monitor the temperature and shape of active volcanoes 2.Sensors measure levels of sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide. 3. seismometers record earthquakes as magma rises to fill the volcano.

name three characteristics.

1.steep sided cones formed from layers of ash and lava flows. 2.eruptions may involve pyroclastic flows as opposed to lava 3.The thick, viscous lava cannot travel far before it cools.

The 2011 Virginia Earthquake has a magnitude of 5.8 (close to 6), the exact length of the fault ruptured during this earthquake is unknown but it is most likely in the order of

10 km

The last 2 million years are characterized by glacial and interglacial periods. The Earth is currently in an interglacial period with the last glacial period ended approximately ________.

10, 000 years ago

Roughly speaking, we have a VEI 5 (example Mt St Helens 1980) eruption every _____ years

10-20 years

Seismic waves at 1 second period will most likely produce strongest shaking on which of the following structure?

10-story buildings

What is the typical rupture length for a magnitude 7 earthquake?

100 km

how many tornadoes does the US have per year

1000

how much faster is the increase in temperatures on Earth today than before

10x

In 1810, human population was about 1 billion, the population grew with a roughly constant growth rate of 0.6%, how many years did it take for human population to reach 2 billion (or what is the doubling time)?

115 years

In a magnitude 6 earthquake event, 60% of all structures in a city will need repair, and the repair cost equals to 20% of their value, what is the vulnerability of the city to a magnitude 6 earthquake?

12%

The slip of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was about

18 feet (6 meters)

The largest recorded earthquake was the US is the

1964 Alaska earthquake

rogue wave height relative to those around it

2x higher

The above chart shows how U-238 atoms decay to Pb-206 atoms. We measure the relative abundance of Pb-206 and U-238 in a zircon crystal, if the Pb/U ratio is about 0.6, when did the zircon solidify?

3 billion years ago

The Earth's continents *started* to form about ____ years ago

3.5 billion

The half length of the red line shown in the above segment (from ridge axis to 10 million years) of the mid-Atlantic ridge is 190 km. What is two-way (total) spreading velocity (in cm/yr) of the shown above?

3.8

A moment magnitude 5 earthquake is roughly how many times more powerful in energy than a moment magnitude 4 earthquake?

30

Hadley cell creates bands of high pressure at which of the following latitudes

30 N and 30 S

Tsunami's destructive power is due to momentum of large mass with long wavelength and period, the period of a tsunami wave is closest to

30 minutes

The length of the fault stretch slipped during the San Francisco earthquake in 1906 was about

300 miles (500 km)

The equatorial belt where solar radiation absorbed is greater than Earth's outgoing radiation loss is between

38 N and 38 S

The Earth is about ___ years old

4.5 billion

The Earth is about

4.5 billion years old

Earth's mass is about 9 times of Mars and its radius is about twice of Mars' radius. Knowing that gravity acceleration can be calculated using g= G M / r^2 , surface gravity on Mars is close to

40% of the Earth's

Sound speed in water is 1500m/s and it takes about 6 seconds for sound waves to echo in an ocean sounding experiment. what is the water depth of the ocean?

4500 m

The temperature at the center of the earth is about

5,000 degree Celsius

What is the typical ground shaking time for a magnitude 7 earthquake?

50 seconds

In 1825, human population was about 2 billion, the population grew with an average growth rate of about 1.4%, Approximately how many years did it take for human population to reach 4 billion (or what is the doubling time)?

50 years

After lava cools below the Curie point, which is about _______, atoms in iron-bearing minerals become magnetized in the direction of the Earth's magnetic field at that time and place.

500°C

The temperature of the earth's core is roughly

6,000 K

The radius (size) of the earth is about

6,000 km

Mt Rainier is about 4km above sea level. If temperature at sea level is 60 degree Fahrenheit, what is the temperature in Fahrenheit at the top of the mountain assuming moist adiabatic lapse rate?

60 - 4x5 x9/5=24

The present human population of the world is a little more than

7 billion

Tsunami waves can travel at a speed up to about

800 km/hour

About ____ of the Earth's long wavelength radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases.

90%

what percentage of peer reviewed scientific paper about the causes of global warming conclude that humans are the cause

97%

What is a pyroclastic flow?

A fast moving(60-100kmph), very hot (700degreescelsius) dense cloud of toxic gas and tephra

What is a fault? Which two parameters define a fault orientation?

A fault is a fracture surface in the Earth across which the two sides move past each other. The strike, which is the intersection of fault plane and surface, and the dip, which is the steepest descending line on a fault plane, define a fault orientation.

What is a Lahar?

A lahar is a volcanic mudflow which is made up of steam clogged with volcanic debris.

Which of the following Earthquake is most likely to generate a powerful Tsunami?

A magnitude 8.0 earthquake on a reverse fault in the Pacific subduction zone

What is a tephra?

A tephra is volcanic ash or lava bomb. their sizes range from fine ash to boulder sized objects and are the most far flung objects.

Explain differences between tsunami and tidal waves.

A tsunami can be caused by many events, such as earthquakes, landslides, underwater volcanic eruptions, etc. This series of waves can be extremely devastating and does not happen too often. Tidal waves on the other hand, are caused by the gravitation pull of the sun and the moon on earth, and occur every day.

Which of the following statement is WRONG?

A. Base isolation has been used in designing earthquake resistant building in California ***B. Active seismic control systems are more widely used in the US than in Japan C. US and Japan have different mitigation strategies: US accept damages to buildings and the cost of repairing D. None of the above

Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A. Plate tectonics provide the force that build mountains and generate earthquakes B. Earthquake prediction is not possible but an early warning system is possible ***C. There are fundamental differences between a magnitude 2 and a magnitude 8 earthquake in the early part of seismograms

Volcanic hazards include all the following EXCEPT FOR

A. Volcanic Gases B. Volcanic Tsunami C. Volcanic Mudflow ***D. Volcanic Flooding

Which of the following statement is WRONG ?

A. Volcanic landslide was a major hazard during the eruption of Mt St. Helen in 1980 B. Volcanic landslide is a major concern of Mt. Shasta in California ***C. None of the above

when is peak North American hurricane season

August-October

Which of the following order describes an increase in magma viscosity (from less viscous to more viscous) ?

Basaltic, Andesitic, Rhyolitic

In 1950s, most Hurricanes hit east coast of North America. In 1960s, most hurricanes hit the Gulf of Mexico, this decadal changes is due to the position of which of the following pressure zone?

Bermuda High

deadliest cyclone

Bhola Cyclone, Bangladesh 1970, 500,000 fatalities

The shaded areas show fault patches slipped in historical large earthquakes along the Cocos subduction zone. According to seismic gap theory, the next large earthquake will most likely occur at

C

The lake above is a large volcanic depression formed by inward roof collapse into partially emptied magma reservoirs, this is a

Caldera

Where are shield volcanoes located?

Constructive boundaries and volcanic hotspots

How is the Earth's magnetic field formed? Explain the concept of magnetic reversal.

Convection in the liquid iron core of the Earth generates the magnetic field. On the order of every several thousand to tens of millions of years, the magnetic polarity of Earth's magnetic field reverses; this is called magnetic reversal. In a magnetic reversal, the magnetic north pole becomes the magnetic south pole and vice versa; the magnetic field does not disappear but gets more complex.

why can't cyclones form at the equator

Coriolis Effect cancels out at the equator

Which of the following mechanisms makes solid "flow" in geological time scale?

Creep

The above figure shows the acceleration of a car as a function of time. At which point (When) does the car travel at a constant speed?

D

oceanic-oceanic processes

Denser (longer) plate will subduct under the other, forming ocean trenchAs subducted plate melts, magma rises to surface forming chains of volcanic islands known as island arcs

Where are composite volcanoes located?

Destructive plate boundaries

What are the three types of volcanoes?

Dome, Shield and composite.

Explain why many dwellings in the Marina District of San Francisco failed during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquakes, many of the dwellings in the Marina District failed due to: (1) amplified shaking, (2) deformation and liquefaction of artificial-fill foundations, and (3) soft first-story construction, which led to building collapses. Due to the Marina District being built on artificial fill dumped onto the wetlands of the bay, the seismic waves that occurred in 1989 were amplified. As a result, some of the artificial fill underwent permanent deformation and settling, while some consisted of underground water and loose sediment in the process of liquefaction. In addition, the buildings built on this artificial fill lacked internal walls, lateral supports, and bracing needed to support story levels.

long term (past 400,000 years) what was the main cause of changes on Earth

Earth's Orbital Parameters

What does active mean?

Erupts frequently

An aircraft flying into volcanic ash may cause navigation problems but won't loose power

False

In a Tsunami event, the first arriving wave is often the largest

False

Tsunami is a series of waves in a water body with the first wave being the largest one.

False

In a region where we have had big earthquakes (magnitude 7 and above) roughly every 200 years, what is the probability that we will not have a big earthquake in this region in the next two years?

First the probability of a magnitude 7 or greater earthquake is 1/200 = 0.005. Then the question asks for the probability of no earthquake which is 1-0.005 = 0.995. Then the probability of no earthquake in two years is 0.995 x 0.995 = .990025.

Which of the following volcanic activities may lead to climate change

Flood basalt event

The deadliest earthquake in recorded history was the 1556 Shannxi earthquake in China, tectonic stresses responsible for this earthquake came from

India-Eurasia plate convergence

Explain the concept the fracking and how it is related to earthquakes.

Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth to try to attain certain natural resources such as oil using a pressurized water system. It is related to earthquakes because in certain locations where fracking has happened, more earthquakes can occur there. For example, in 2008, there was a sharp increase in seismicity in central Oklahoma induced by massive wastewater injection. The argument is that an increase in pore pressure may change the state of friction and thus reduce the strength of faults, bringing them close to failure.

What is the frequency of a seismic wave with a period of 10 seconds, 1 second and 0.25 second?

Frequency is the inverse of period. The frequency of a seismic was with a period of 10 seconds is 0.1 Hz; the frequency of a seismic wave with a period of 1 second is 1 Hz and the frequency of a seismic was with a period of 0.25 seconds is 4 Hz.

What gravity variations are studied by the GRACE mission?

GRACE, or gravity recovery and climate experiment, is a mission to map variations in the Earth's gravity field over a 5 year span. These variations include changes due to currents in the ocean, runoff and ground water storage patterns on land, variations of mass within the earth, and others.

material erupted explosive

Gas, dust, ash, lava bombs, tephra

What are the four types of hazards?

Geological Climatic Biological Technical

Which of the following best represents exponential growth:

Growth consisting of multiplying the population by a factor of 1.05 every year.

The most abundant dissolved gas in magma is

H2O (water)

with sustained winds of 196 mph, (235 gusts) which typhoon was the strongest to ever make landfall

Haiyan

Which of the following regions recorded more Tsunamis events than others

Hawaii

Which of the following order describes volcanic eruption styles from less explosive to more explosive?

Hawaiian, Strombolian, Vulcanian, Plinian

continental-continental example

Himalayas

Describe the formation of hotspots and how the age of the volcanoes changes along the plate motion direction.

Hot spots are masses of buoyant hot rock deep beneath the surface of the Earth. As they rise through the mantle as plumes, they begin melting near the top of the asthenosphere, and continue rising through the lithosphere as magma. Hot spots have active volcanoes above them on Earth's surface. Due to the fact that these volcanoes rest on moving plates, they are carried away from their hot spot source. This forms lines of extinct volcanoes from youngest to oldest, pointing in the direction of plate movement.

Volcanic gases are usually not deadly but CO2 in high concentration can cause suffocation

True

explosive eruption example

Krakatoa 1883

The most significant hazard in the eruption of Nevada Del Ruiz, Colombia in 1985 was

Lahar

effusive eruption example

Laki 1783

What is latent heat? How is it important in moving energy through the atmosphere?

Latent heat is the energy released or absorbed during a change of state (solid, liquid or gas) not temperature. Latent heat is important in moving energy through the atmosphere because as water changes state across the atmosphere, energy is absorbed and released at different areas, which redistributes energy.

Name layers of the earth by composition and order them from least dense to most dense.

Least to most dense: Crust, Mantle, Core. Crust is made from rock, mantle made of heavy rock and core is metallic/iron.

continental-continental processes

Little / no subduction as densities are too similar Buckling occurs

Plate A is bounded by seismicity, this is

Nazac Plate

oceanic-continental example

Nazca + South American plate

Volcanic gases are usually not deadly but CO2 in high concentration can cause suffocation.

True

Volcanic landslides and submarine volcanic eruptions can cause Tsunami

True

divergent boundaries features

Mid ocean ridges: - Hidden at average depth of 2.5km below ocean surface - Consist of long mountain chains, in places rising 3000m above sea bed - Not continuous: broken into segments by transform faults (displace sideways by 10s to 100s of km) Fissure volcanoes: associated with effusive eruptions Lava contains high levels of basalt and magnesium, not much silica (runny) Pillow lavaBlack smokers: Superheated jets of water re-emerge on ocean floor containing metal sulphides. They support unique and specialized organisms + ecosystems

where do most US tornados occur

Midwest and South

What four ways are their of mitigating hazard impact?

Monitoring and forecasting Preparedness Land use planning Structural approaches

Explain the hazard that Mount Rainier presents to the Seattle-Tacoma region

Mount Rainier is number one on the danger list of many U.S. volcanologists because of its great height, extensive glacial cap, frequent earthquakes, and active hot-water spring systems, which have weakened the mountain internally. This volcano is a possible producer of threatening lahars (debris/mud flow) caused by magma melting the ice. Mount Rainier is a national park that overlooks the highly populated Seattle-Tacoma region. With such a volcano near a very populated area, the risk is obvious.

Which of the following is a subduction zone volcano?

Mt. Rainier

An individual volcano may be active for millions of years but its eruptive phases are commonly separated by quite intervals. Use Mount Vesuvius as an example to explain how the time intervals between major eruptions compare to a human life span.

Mt. Vesuvius did not have major eruption from the 7th century BCE to about 79 CE. During this period, people had 700 years to lose their fears about a big eruption and take advantage of the rich agricultural soils produced by the volcano. After 79 CE, larger eruptions began to take place more often; notable years were 203, 472, 512, 685, 993, 1036, 1049, as well as 1138-1139. After this series of eruptions, another 500 years past and this gave time for people to forget how dangerous the mountain could be and to recolonize it. Then came the horrific eruption of 1631 in which 4,000 perished. The long dormancy in the last 2,700 years seems like long times to short living humans, but this is the schedule an active volcano tends to abide by. Human's lack of appreciation for the time involved between eruptions leads them to falsely think that the volcano is extinct and puts them at risk.

give an example

Mt. fuji (Japan)

What does Extinct mean?

Never likely to erupt again.

continental-continental features

No volcanoes Fold mountains- often sedimentary rock, eg: limestone Small earthquakes

Describe differences between a normal fault and a reverse fault.

Normal faults occur when the hanging wall moves downward relative to the footwall, with the dominant force being extensional. Normal faults are commonly found along seafloor spreading centers and in regions of continents being pulled apart. Reverse faulting occurs when compressional force causes the hanging wall to move upward relative to the footwall. These compressional motions are commonly found along areas of plate convergence where subduction or continental collision occurs.

oceanic-oceanic example

North American and Caribbean plate

The above figure shows the age of the Hawaii hotspot track, which direction did the Pacific Plate move in the past 30 million years?

NorthWest

Where do dome volcanoes occur?

Occur within the craters or on the flanks of large composite volcanoes.

Which of the following is a Shield volcano?

Olympus Mons on Mars

Explain three ways of melting rocks in the Earth and their corresponding tectonic settings.

One way to melt rock is to raise its temperature which occurs at mantle plumes (hotspots). A second way to melt rock is to increase water content; this usually occurs at subduction zones where the subducting plate takes a little ocean water with it (in hydrated minerals) down to the mantle. A final and most common way to melt rock is to lower the pressure of the rock; this usually occurs at mid ocean ridges.

What is a volcano

Openings or cracks in the earths surface that allow molten magma (or other material) to escape from the mantle beneath.

Evaluate earthquake hazard in Salt Lake City

Over 80% of Utah's population lives near the slopes of the Wasatch Front, which is the zone of normal faults separating the mountains from the Great Basin. No large earthquakes have been reported here since 1847 but the faults show definite potential for earthquakes. Salt Lake City is facing a very serious possibility of a high magnitude earthquake because usually a 6.5 M earthquake occurs once every 350 years. There has not been an earthquake in the fault segment near Brigham City in 2,400 years. A serious seismic event is long overdue.

The most abundant elements in the earth's crust are

Oxygen and Silicon

Based on the age of the seafloor (above map), which ocean floor spreads faster?

Pacific Ocean

About 220 million years ago, all of the continents were once combined into a single supercontinent called ____ .

Pangaea

Oceanic-continental convergent (processes) ?

Plates move towards each other Denser oceanic plate subducted under continental plate (brings in water which lowers melting point), causing an ocean trench Layers of sediment and sedimentary rock develop on oceanic plates adjacent to continents. When they converge, the sediments and rock crumple, fold and are uplifted along leading edge of continental plate. The crust is buckled and uplifted, and vast amounts of molten material are injected into it. Subduction causes oceanic plate to melt, and it rises as plutons of magma. Huge intrusions further uplift fold mountains. Volcanoes are formed where magma reaches surface - explosive volcanoes due to melting of overlying continental crust (high silica)

What is a conservative plate margin?

Plates slide past each other (friction) Frictional lock/resistance causes the build-up of pressure These pressures cause rocks to fracture, releasing seismic waves of energy known as earthquakes

The famous Vesuvius eruptions in 79 C.E. buried the cities of

Pompeii and Herculaneum

In risk analysis, hazard is the ______ that a catastrophe will occur in a given time frame .

Probability

The above porous volcanic glass is

Pumice

Give an example of a dome volcano

Puy de Dome, Auvergne (last erupted 1 million years ago)

Which of the following volcanic hazard caused more deaths than others in recorded history?

Pyroclastic flow

Which of the following wave types travels slowest through rock?

Rayleigh wave

Which of the following waves have backward-rotating, elliptical motion that produced horizontal and vertical shaking?

Rayleigh wave

Which of the following magma has highest water content?

Rhyolitic

1992 became the coolest year since 1986 due to the eruption of Mt Pinatubo in 1991, The eruption caused more sunlight reflected back to space mainly due to increased level of _________ in the atmosphere.

SO2

conservative example

San Andreas Fault

Describe the tectonic setting and earthquake activities in the Cascadia subduction zone.

The Cascadia subduction zone is a subduction of small tectonic plates beneath the North American plate. No gigantic earthquakes have occurred in the Pacific northwest in the past 200 years, though subduction hasn't stopped. The subduction of these tectonic plates is still occurring and is supported by the presence of active volcanoes located above them. The lack of earthquakes might reflect the long and continuous storing of energy in elastic strain that has been materializing for almost two centuries, that could eventually unlock and cause magnitude 9 earthquakes.

Explain seismic gap theory and how it can be used to evaluate earthquake hazard (and use the North Anatolian fault as an example)

Seismic gap theory expects that if segments of one fault have moved recently, then the unmoved portions will move next and thus fill the gaps. This can be used to yield expectations of where future earthquakes will occur. The North Anatolian fault, for example, had a great series of earthquakes occur near the eastern end of the fault in 1939; since then, 11 more earthquakes have occurred as the fault ruptures westward.

convection currents

Slowly flow in asthenosphere and provide horizontal forces on the plates of lithosphere

while temperatures have increased over the past 20 years, what has happened to the amount of energy received from the sun

decreased

We Measure the magnetic Inclination of a rock. It is 10 degree, where was the rock formed?

Somewhere between the equator and the north pole but very close to the equator

If we use the above model to describe population growth of the world, which stage are we now?

Stage 3

oceanic-oceanic plate features

Stratovolcanoes (viscous magma) and island arcs oceanic-oceanic processes

Which type of waves produce strongest shaking during an earthquake?

Surface waves

What does Dormant mean?

Temporarily inactive but not fully extinct

What is the mercalli scale?

The 12 point scale that measures the intensity of damage based on observations on the ground and the actual impacts of the earthquakes.

Explain the "butterfly effects".

The Butterfly Effect was a phenomenon discovered by Edward Lorenz. In a simulation Lorenz rounded off one variable from .506127 to .506. This small change resulted in a very large change. Lorenz's insight about this discovery was that small changes can have large consequences. Similarly, this shows us that predicting the future is nearly almost impossible because even the slightest change in surroundings can throw something completely off. This is the idea that lies behind the butterfly effect.

What is the Curie temperature? How is it related to rock magnetism? How do we use rock magnetism to determine the latitude at which a rock was formed?

The Curie temperature is the temperature above which certain iron-bearing materials lose magnetism. Curie temperature of iron-bearing minerals are about 550 degrees Celsius. Once lava is cooled to below the Curie point, atoms in iron-bearing minerals become magnetized in the direction of Earth's magnetic field at that time and place.

What is the size (radius) of the Earth? What is the temperature at the Earth's core?

The Earth's radius is about 6,371km from the center of the Earth's core to sea level. The temperature at the center of the Earth is about 6,000 Kelvin, which is about the same as the temperature at the surface of the sun.

Describe the concept of Gutenberg-Richter law and the meaning of the two parameters (a and b) in Gutenberg-Richter law.

The Gutenberg-Richter law describes a log-linear relation between magnitude and the number of earthquakes exceeding the magnitude. It allows us to evaluate the hazard of big earthquakes using data from small earthquakes. In the Gutenberg-Richter law, log(N) = a-bM, where a is the measure of the total seismicity (all earthquakes with M>0), and b is a measure of the rate of decrease in seismicity with magnitude M.

Evaluate earthquake hazard in locked versus creeping segments of the San Andreas fault.

The San Francisco and the segment north of Los Angeles sections of the San Andreas fault have a deficit of earthquakes. These are "locked" segments, meaning that virtually all stress from plate tectonics is stored for decades as elastic strain until finally the fault gives, rupturing in a large event that releases much of its stored energy in a catastrophic movement. However, the section south of San Francisco has frequent small to moderate sized earthquakes. This is a "creeping" section where numerous earthquakes release plate tectonic stresses before they build to high levels. Earthquakes in this segment do not exceed magnitude 6.

What is the age of the Earth and how it is determined?

The age of the Earth is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old. This conclusion can be made by measuring radioactive isotopes, and with new technologies they are becoming extremely accurate. The oldest solar system particles are around 4.57 billion years old by using radioactive isotopes and their decaying products which were collected from Moon rocks and meteorites. Scientists estimate that the collision with the Mars-sized body occurred between 4.537 and 4.533 billion years ago. So the Earth must be younger than 4.537 billion years old, but also older than 4.37 billion year old sand grains found in Australia. By these estimates, we can conclude the Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old.

You drop off a ball from a six-story building, the ball left you hand with zero velocity, which of the following statements is correct:

The ball loses its potential energy but gains kinetic energy

If you drop a ball from a six-story building, what will happen to the ball's kinetic energy, potential energy and total energy?

The ball's kinetic energy will increase as the ball falls towards the ground. The ball's potential energy will decrease inversely as the ball falls towards the ground. The total energy will remain the same throughout the time the ball is falling towards the ground.

Explain the origin of the Cascade Range volcanoes and how does the magma composition change as it rises.

The cascade volcanoes were formed by the subduction of an oceanic plate under the North American Plate. The magma was basaltic when rocks melt in the mantle at about 100 km depth due to increased water content provided by the sediment on top of the subducting plate, as the magma rises up to shallower depth, it melts the overlying continental crust (which has a rhyolitic composition). This process changes magma composition to andesitic or rhyolitic.

What are tectonic plates?

The crust of the earth is made up of tectonic plates. These plates move over the surface of the globe at a rate of 2cm/yr

Which of the following is important to free life to leave the oceans about 400 million years ago?

The development of ozone layer

Which following statement is correct regarding melt in the mantle?

The dominant melting mechanism at mid-ocean spreading centers is decompression melting

Why do volcanoes above subduction zones erupt more explosively than volcanoes at spreading centers?

The explosiveness of a volcano depends on the amount of dissolved volatiles (water) in magma and the viscosity of magma. Volcanic eruptions at spreading centers are peaceful because basaltic magma is low in volatiles and has low viscosity. In subduction zones, the subducting plate will take water with it down the mantle which increases the volatile content of the magma, and the uprising magma melt the overlying continental crust which increases the viscosity of the magma. Therefore, water vapors are difficult to escape and volcanoes eruption are more explosively.

Explain the factors controlling the volcanic explosivity index (VEI)

The factors that control the volcanic explosivity index (VEI) include (1) volume of the materials ejected from the volcano, (2) height of the eruption column and (3) the duration of the major eruptive blast.

Summarize the five eruption types and their associated magma composition.

The five eruption types include Icelandic, Hawaiian, Strombolian, Vulcanian, and Plinian. The composition of Icelandic type eruptions consist of a low water content and low viscosity - this is the least explosive type of eruption. Hawaiian type eruptions have low water content and low viscosity, as well. Strombolian type eruptions have moderate water content and low to moderate viscosity. Vulcanian type eruptions have moderate to high water content and moderate to high viscosity. The most explosive types of eruptions are Plinian type eruptions, which have high water content and high viscosity. The explosive nature of eruptions depends primarily on the concentration of volatiles (mainly water) in the magma. A higher concentration of volatiles means a larger buildup of gasses as the magma reaches the surface and therefore a larger explosive force behind the eruption.

The "snowball Earth" was trigged by

The formation of supercontinent Rodinia

Which of the following is an example of isostasy?

The land of Antarctica rises as ice melts

Explain the formation of rain forests at the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and large deserts at about 30-20 degree latitudes.

The large amounts of solar radiation at the equator drives the Hadley cell, which is responsible for both deserts in subtropical regions and rainforests at the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). At the ITCZ, warm, moist air rises to a high altitude until it condenses, dispersing heavy rainfall on the tropics. Once the air is drier, it spreads both north and south to Subtropical High Pressure Zones, where the air warms adiabatically as it descends. This air has a low moisture content, and this warm, dry air mass is responsible for the world's big deserts. The cycle continues in a loop as the trade winds, which have picked up moisture as they have traveled, meet again at the ITCZ, where it once again rises and condenses.

Will the sea always pull back before a tsunami comes to ashore? Which wave is the biggest in a tsunami event?

The sea will not always pull back, sometimes the wave crest will get to shore first. Which wave is biggest varies and the first wave is not necessary the biggest one.

What are the ages of the oldest rocks that make up the ocean floor? How does it compare to the age of the Earth?

The oldest rocks on the ocean floors are about 200 million years old which is less than 5% the age of the earth as the Earth is about 4,500 million years old.

why do the plates move?

The plates move because of convection currents in the earths mantle caused by the decay of radioactive elements and heat left over from the formation of the earth.

what is the epicentre?

The point on the surface that lies directly above the focus.

In a region where historically we had one strong earthquake (magnitude >6) in the past 50 year (return period T= 50 year), what is the probability that in the next 5 years that we do NOT have any strong earthquake in the region?

The probability of no large earthquake in the next 5 years is P = (1-1/50)5 = 0.9

The speed of a wind-blown ocean wave depends on the period of the wave.

True

What factor(s) determine the speed of wind-blown waves in deep ocean? What factor(s) determine the speed of tsunami wave?

The speed of a wind-blown wave depends on the period of the wave. The speed of a tsunami depends on gravitational acceleration, and the depth of the water.

What is the temperature at the surface of the sun? What is the temperature at the center of the sun? Describe the main process that supplies the sun's energy.

The surface of the sun is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The center of the sun is about 27,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The main process that supplies the sun with its energy is nuclear fusion. This is a process in which four hydrogen atoms fuse together to produce one helium atom. This fusion results in some of the mass being converted into energy. This process is responsible for solar radiation.

What are the two most abundant elements in the Earth's crust?

The two most abundant elements in the Earth's crust are Oxygen and Silicon.

What are typical P wave and S wave velocities in hard rocks?

The typical P wave velocity in hard rocks is about 5.1 to 5.5 km/s (about 11,400 to 12,300 mph). The typical S wave velocity in hard rocks is about 3 km/s (about 6,700 mph).

What is the ring of fire?

This is the name commonly given to the area around the pacific ocean. It gets its name because it has the largest concentration of volcanoes.

What is the mantle plume theory?

This is the theory that explains hotspots. Hot magma melts the crust above and escapes and as tectonic plates are constantly moving, but mantle plumes stay stationary and create a chain of volcanoes e.g the islands of hawaii

What is continental crust?

This is thicker, older and less dense. The type of rock is granite.

What is oceanic crust?

This is thin, young and more dense. The type of rock is basalt.

What is the size of the world population of humans today? What is the difference between natural hazard and natural disaster?

Today's world population size is about 7.2 billion people. The difference between a natural hazard and a natural disaster is that a natural hazard is the probability of a dangerous event occurring and a natural disaster is an actual occurrence that causes damage such as an earthquake or hurricane.

A single earthquake may cause Tsunami waves coming to shore from different directions

True

High frequency seismic waves attenuate faster than low frequency waves

True

In general, continental crust rocks are much older than oceanic crust rocks.

True

Magmas generated from melting of oceanic crust contain less water than those from melting of continental crust.

True

Recall lecture materials, the impact theory helps to explain the lesser abundance of iron on the moon

True

Recall lecture materials, the impact theory suggest the moon is made mostly from rocky (mantle) material

True

The Moon affects the Earth's surface temperature through ocean tides

True

The ocean floors are mostly made of basalt.

True

The shape of coastlines and ocean floor topography may add to Tsunami wave's destructive power

True

Which topography has higher entropy (more disordered)?

Venus

Which of the following volcanic hazard may affect regions hundreds of kilometers away from an erupting volcano?

Volcanic ash fall

The "snowball" earth was ended by

Volcanic eruptions

Which of the following process at Hawaii is a major concern for Tsunami hazard

Volcanic landslides

The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is defined based on

Volume of material erupted, eruption column height and duration of major eruptive blast

The Earth is the only water planet in the solar system, according to the movie, the source of water came from

Water-rich asteroid and comets

What are the causes of an earthquake?

When pressure between plates is released.

The deformation of a rock

depends on the time scale of stress applied

What is a collision plate margin?

When two plates meet head on and are squeezed upwards causing the formation of fold mountains. the plates are of equal density and strength. Eg. Eurasian- Indo Australian plates

About 3.0 meters of uprise in the past 2 thousand years was estimated at Hudson Bay as a result of post-glacial rebound, the area

Will continue to rise about 1.5 meters in the next 2 thousand years

Tsunami waves are

a group of waves of different sizes moving as a wave train

The San Andreas Fault system began when __________________.

a segment of the Pacific spreading ridge made contact with the western edge of North America

how to Nor'easters and hurricanes not differ

damage

explosive eruption lava characteristics

acidic (high % silica), high viscosity, lower temperatures at eruption

Which of the following describes adiabatic cooling?

air mass rises and expands

A growing volcano is

an open system and not predictable

effusive eruption lava type

basalt

effusive eruptions lava characteristics

basic (low % silica) low viscosity, higher temperatures at eruption

what is the biggest danger of being too close to a tornado

debris

what can we infer about the eye of a hurricane

calmest area, lowest pressure, and low wind speeds

During the 1990's, hundreds of trees were killed at Mammoth Mountain, California, by the diffuse emission of

carbon dioxide

what evidence from ice cores do scientists use to determine the amounts of greenhouse gases in Earth's past

carbon dioxide bubbles, bubbles of past atmosphere

climate change

changes in climate (hotter/cooler, wetter/dryer, frequency and severity of storms brought about from global warming)

In high pressure regions where air flows out, air flows in _______ direction in the northern hemisphere

clockwise

The above Hurricane is

clockwise rotation in southern hemisphere

Midwest ingredients for a tornado

cold dry air from Canada, warm dry air from the southwest, warm moist air from the Gulf, and the Jet Stream

In sedimentary rocks (formed in ocean), higher ratio of oxygen isotope O18/O16 indicates

colder climate

what happens to air when it falls

compresses and warms

what kind of building provides the most protection during a tornado

concrete structure

longline fishing

controversial means of commercial fishing where boats drag up to 40 miles of line with over 1,000 hooks

Location of explosive volcanoes

convergent plate boundaries

Which of the following plate boundaries produces largest earthquakes?

convergent plate boundaries

The above system is a

counter-clockwise rotation around a low pressure core

Much of the midlatitude severe weather in the Northern Hemisphere (including Nor'easter) occurs via cyclones where air masses rotating

counterclockwise about a low-pressure core

The above step in San Andreas fault (in Los Angeles)

creates compression in the region

The Earth is divided into layers that differ in composition and density. What is the proper sequence of these layers if they are listed from least dense to most dense?

crust, mantle, core

what is the general term for a cyclone/hurricane/typhoon

cyclone

storm surge

cyclone winds push water onshore causing severe coastal flooding

What is a lava flow?

lava flows

asthenosphere

layer that extends from 100-300km down which is viscous and ductile

The Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee were created by steps in the Dead Sea fault zone. The steps are

left steps in a left-lateral strike-slip fault

In the open ocean, the height of a powerful tsunami wave is often

less than 1 meter and not detectable from space

strong separation of electric charge that builds up between clouds and the ground

lightening

what is the state if the earth's outer core

liquid iron and nickel

what is the difference in a hurricane, cyclone, and typhoon

location

explosive eruption frequency

long periods with no activity

what does adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere cause

long wave radiation (heat) to be trapped and temperatures to rise

The final (4th) stage of demographic transition is characterized by

low birth rate and low death rate

Heat capacity of granite is ____ than that of water.

lower

The unit of acceleration is

m/s/s

Enhanced Fujita Scale

measures tornado strength based on damage, EF0-EF5, ratings used to estimate wind speed

Which crustal melt (magma) is more viscous?

melt of continental crust

rogue wave two theories

merging waves and ocean currents

In the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

moist air rises and produces rainfall

what is the state if the earth's mantle

mostly solid rock

"Apparent polar wander" refers to

movement of the north magnetic pole assuming positions of continents are fixed

can a tornado pick up a tractor trailer and cab

no

is every place on Earth getting warmer

no

is there a vigorous debate between scientists about humans being the cause of global warming

no

Which of the following system is most different from others?

nor'easter in mid-latitude North America

thermohaline circulation

ocean currents of shallow, warm salty water and deep, cold less salty water

Which following mineral is most rich in iron and magnesium?

olivine

how are clouds classified

on their height

how is a hotspot formed

one of Earth's outer tectonic plates moves over an unusually hot part of the Earth's mantle and large amounts of magma rise up, piercing through the plates and producing large volcanic eruptions at the Earth's surface. it does not occur at the boundaries of Earth's tectonic plates, where other volcanism occurs. Radioactive decay in the Earth's core creates extremely high temperatures which heat the lower mantle. When radioactive decay is concentrated in one area, local thermal currents are generated in the lower mantle. Plumes of magma then rise from the lower mantle and burn through the Earth's lithosphere which then forms a volcano when it breaches the surface.

When the pressure gradient force and Coriolis force are balanced, upper-level wind blow

parallel to lines of constant pressure

If you are in an airplane flying from Richmond, VA pointing to New York City and fly in a straight line at 500 miles per hour, due to Coriolis effect, you will

pass hundreds of miles east of New York City

Which of the following is formed by underwater volcanic eruptions?

pillow lava

Modern tsunami warning systems measure

pressure at ocean bottom

In mid-ocean ridges, melting occurs in the mantle because

pressure decreases

what does warm moist air do to clouds

pushes them up

When moisture air uprises, it cools and can hold less water vapor, water vapor condenses to form liquid water, during the process, it

releases heat and warms up surrounding air

explosive eruptions lava type

rhyolite (more acid), andesite (less acid)

lithosphere

rigid layer including crust and asthenosphere- varies in thickness+boundary with asthenosphere is hard to place as it melts- Lithosphere + crust make up plates

aersols

small particles suspended in the atmosphere that block sunlight thus causing cooling

why do people live near volcanoes?(3+ex)

soil is fertile geothermal power is easily and cheaply available Tourism e.g landscape and hiking e.g Tomatoes are grown around Mt. Vesuvius in Italy

what is the state if the earth's inner core

solid iron and nickel

what is the state if the earth's crust

solid rock

how do Nor'easters differ from hurricanes

source of energy (they require a cold front), location, snow, season, a distinct eye (they don't have one)

80% of the Earth's volcanisms are associated with___ .

spreading centers

when is peak tornado season

spring

explosive shape of volcano

steep sides, caldera

Which two parameters define a fault orientation?

strike and dip

The earth's oxygen level increased dramatically about 2.5 billion years ago, making the ocean and sky look blue, the increased level of oxygen is caused by

stromatolites

What is the richter scale?

the 10 point scale which measures the earthquakes strength based on how much energy was released. There is a logarithmic scale scale that increases 10 fold increase in strength and a 30 fold increase in energy released. It is measured using as seismograph.

The largest earthquake recored in the 20th century is

the 1960 Chile earthquake

The largest recorded earthquake in the US is the

the 1964 Alaska earthquake

climate

the average weather over a broad area over a long period of time

albedo

the capacity of a surface to reflect sunlight

What is the focus?

the centre of the earthquake underground

weather

the condition in the atmosphere at a particular place and time

Which of the following is important to free life to leave the oceans about 400 million years ago?

the development of ozone layer

what does a hurricane have to pass in order to become a typhoon

the international date line

In the theory of plate tectonics, "plate" refers to

the lithosphere

moho

the mantle-crust boundary. It's depth below continents is at about 35 km, while under oceans is about 10-15 km

Pangaea

the name of the supercontinent that existed 250 million years ago

global warming

the ongoing rise in global average temperatures

In the open ocean, the speed of a Tsunami wave is close to

the speed of an airplane

what do ice cores show us about temperatures and CO2 concentrations

they are closely correlated

where are volcanoes found?

they are located near tectonic plate boundaries, specifically constructive and destructive and at mantle plumes e.g down the coast of east Africa.

how are super cells different from regular storms

they have large scale rotation

What is the basic structure of the earth?

three primary, concentric layers: core, mantle, crust

The picture above is a side view of a fault, this is a ______ .

thrust fault caused by compressional force

rapid expansion of superheated air

thunder

Which of the following changes in earth's orbit has a period of about 41,000 years

tilt of Earth's spin axis

which direction does the wind blow in a tornado

towards the tornado

Which of the following faults break mid-ocean ridges into segments?

transform faults

The San Andreas Fault is a

transform plate boundary

Upper mantle

two layers: asthenosphere and lithosphere

When the environmental lapse rate is greater than dry adiabatic lapse rate, air is

unstable

what causes hail

updrafts and downdrafts are strong enough to circulate air particles above and below freezing level