Natural Disasters Review Questions

3.6 Summarize how earthquakes can be beneficial

-groundwater comes back to the surface as springs -energy resources -formation and exposure of valuable mineral resources -development of landforms

1.4 Describe the five fundamental concepts

1. Science helps us predict Hazards 2. knowing hazard risks can help people make decision 3. Linkage exists between natural hazards 4. humans can turn disastrous events into catastrophes 5. consequences of hazards can be minimized

2.4 What geologic problems were solved when the existence of Pangaea was confirmed?

1. fossil plants and animals on different continents would be difficult to explain if they had not be joined in the past 2. evidence of ancient glaciation on several continents, with inferred directions of ice flow, makes sense only if the continents are placed back

3.7 How can humans cause earthquakes?

1. loading the earths crust (building a dam or reservoir) 2. injecting liquid waste deep into the ground through disposal wells 3. creating underground nuclear explosions

1.4 when we say consequences of hazards are as simple as A+B=C, what do we mean?

A represents the direct losses from the event B represents the losses related to human actions (construction, not enough funding, lack of time in delivering medication etc.) C is the total loss

1.5 What is meant by the phrase natural service function?

Although hazards destroy property, they also provide us with important benefits.

2.3 Describe the major process that are thought to produce earths magnetic field

Convection is believed to produce earths magnetic field. The convection in the outer core, along with the rotation of earth that causes rotation of the outer core, initiates a flow of electric current in the core.

2.2 What enables the tectonic plates to move?

Convection within earths mantle drive plate tectonics

4.1 what is the difference between a local tsunami and a distant tsunami?

Distant tsunami travels across the deep ocean at high speeds. The local tsunami heads in the opposite direction toward nearby land

2.2 What are the three major types of plate boundaries?

Divergent Convergent Transfer

4.7 What are two warnings from nature that a tsunami may be coming?

Earthquake and receding water

1.5 list some examples of natural service function of hazards such as foods, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions

Flooding redistributes nutrients Volcanic eruptions can create new land Earthquakes are important for mountain building, oil, and other natural resources from the crushing rocks Landslides can help with water storage

2.3 How have magnetic reversals and the study of paleomagnetism been important in understanding plate tectonics?

It is important because able to create a chronology of rocks by dating the reversed rocks. also important to show that sea-floor spreading is happening

1.2 Why is recent geologic history as well as human history important in the study of natural hazards

It is important to study recent geologic history as well as human history because natural hazards are repetitive events and can provide information for hazard reduction plans. If we can combine information about history and prehistory behavior with a knowledge of present conditions and recent past events, including land-use changes, we will be able to mitigate disasters. To understand hazards, we must also know about the geologic cycle, process that produce and modify earth materials such as rocks, minerals and water.

1.4 what is uniformitarianism, and how does it help us understand natural hazards?

It is the idea that the present is the key to the past, that the processes that we observe today operated in the past as well it does not suggest that magnitude or frequency are constant over time you can use uniformitarianism to infer about future events

1.4 why are population growth and land use important in understanding consequences of natural hazards?

Land-Use changes made the damage of hazardous events to be catastrophes and population growth has put problems on providing high-quality environments for the billions of people. Increasing population at local, regional and global levels compounds nearly all hazards (floods, landslides, volcanos, EQ)

3.5 What are the effects of earthquake-induced liquefaction?

Layers of solid sand can liquify which creates a quicksand like material.. it can slope ground and collapse buildings.

2.1 In what ways are the major properties of the lithosphere different from those of the asthenosphere?

Lithosphere is outermost layer of the earth. It is stronger and more rigid than the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is made of hot and slowly flowing layer of weak rock

1.1 Differentiate among natural hazards, disasters, and catastrophes.

Natural Hazard is a natural process and event that is a potential threat to human life and property Disaster is a hazardous event that occurs over a limited time span within a defined area, criteria for a natural disaster are 10 or more people are killed, 100 ir more people are affected, a state of emergency is declared and international assistance is requested Catastrophe is a massive disaster that requires significant expenditure of money and a long time for recovery to take place

4.2 What are the main lessons learned from the 2004 tsunami?

Need to improve the warning system

3.2 What is the difference in the rates of travel of P,S, and surface waves?

P Waves travel the fastest, S waves travel the next fast. surface waves are the slowest but produce the most damaging effects

1.4 differentiate among precursor events, forecasting, predictions and warnings

Precursor events are events that precede a hazardous event (land might creep prior to a landslide) Prediction is hazardous event that involves specifying a specific date, time and size Forecasting has a range of certainty Warning is when a forecast or reduction is made public through a flow of information

4.3 What are the primary and secondary effects of tsunamis?

Primary effects: inundation of the water and the resulting flooding and erosion--diminish the distance from coast and leaves behind debris secondary effects : fires in urban areas, water supplied can be polluted, waste systems affected , disease break out, animal and plant rotting

1.4 differentiate between reactionary responses and anticipatory responses

Reactive responses are following a disaster--> search and rescue, emergency food, shelter etc. Anticipatory responses-->prior to a disaster, having efforts of reduction for the hazard. it can reduce our vulnerability and help decreases damage from future disasters

4.6 What are structural control options to reduce tsunami damage?

Sea walls

3.3 What types of earth materials amplify seismic waves?

Seismic waves move faster through consolidated bedrock than they do during unconsolidated sediment or oil. Alluvium, Mud and sand amplify EQ

3.1 What types of stresses are responsible for normal, reverse, and strike-slip faulting?

Tensional stress is responsible for normal fault compressional stress is responsible for reverse fault shearing stress is responsible for strike slip faulting

3.1 If you are looking at the blocks on either side of a fault, how would you differentiate the hanging wall from the footwall?

The footwall is the block block the fault plane where the miner would stand the hanging wall is the block above the fact plane where the lantern could be hung

1.3 define the geologic cycle and describe its sub cycles

The geologic cycle is made up of different components and dynamics that can explain the relationships between other natural hazards. The materials on or near Earth's surface have been created, maintained, and destroyed by numerous physical, chemical, and biological process--> all of which make up the geologic cycle. The sub cycles include the rock cycle: largest of the geologic cycles, it is linked to all other sub cycles. It is the rock recycling the hydraulic cycle: the movement of water from the oceans to the atmosphere and back again tectonic cycle: involves the creation, movement and destruction of tectonic plates. responsible for the production and distribution of rock and mineral resources biogeochemical cycle: transfer or cycling of a chemical element/elements through the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. It is the transfer of chemical elements through a series of storage compartments or reservoirs

2.1 What are the major differences between the inner and the outer cores of the Earth?

The inner core is more than 1200 km thick and has a similar temperature to the surface of the sun. the inner core is metallic, composed mostly of iron. It is also solid. the outer core is over 2200 km thick. it has a similar composition as the inner core It is liquid. Iron is the most abundant material in the core

1.1 Which natural hazards in the United States take the most lives each year?

Tornadoes, windstorms, heat waves, lightening, floods and hurricanes Earthquakes vary from year to year

3.1 How would you tell the difference between a strike-slip and dip-slip fault?

a dip slip fault offsets rocks in a vertical motion due to compressional or tensional stress whereas strike-slipfault offset blocks of crust in horizontal direction due to shearing stress

2.2 How is a subduction zone different rom a collision zone?

a subduction zone is when one plate goes beneath another plate. if the plate. A collision zone occurs if the plates are both relatively light, the places collide causing shortening and lithosphere thickening due to folding and faulting (creates large mountain belts)

What is the major mechanism for heat transfer within the earth? a. convection b. conduction c. convergence d. divergence e. transformation

a. convection

Convergence of two plates create some of the highest topography in the world which can lead to what natural hazard? a. landslides b. volcanos c. tornadoes d. tsunamis e. drought

a. landslides

3. What makes a natural earth process a hazard? a. people live or work near the process b. the process reaches a minimum size c. 10 or more people are affected by the process d. controls to limit the process are ineffective e. all of the answers are correct

a. people live or work near the process

Hazard risk is defined as the product of... a. probability and consequence b. economic impact and geologic hazard strength c. population density and disaster preparedness d. acceptable loss and economic impact

a. probability and consequence

3.3 How do seismologists locate earthquakes?

able to locate earthquakes using seismographs and triangulation

4.5 How do growing populations and changing land uses influence the incidence and consequences of tsunamis?

able to plant buffer zone areas of trees and make sea walls, but humans can't stop tsunamis, only can minimize the effects

4.6 How can producing a tsunami runup map help reduce potential tsunami damage?

able to show areas that will be most affected and can build sea walls to protect the areas

3.2 How are active and potentially active faults defined?

active faults have moved during the last 10,00 years potentially active faults are faults that show evidence of moving in the pleistocene but not holocene epch

4.1 Define Tsunami and identify several tsunami trigger events

are produced by a suddenn vertical displacement of ocean water

4.6 How are tsunamis detected in the open sea?

associated with giant earthquakes -network of seismographs -automated tidal gauges to measure unusual rises and falls of sea level -sensors connected to floating buoy's (tsunameters)

When neither plate is dense enough to sink into the asthenosphere, the result is a ______ plate boundary a. convergent subduction b. convergent collision c. divergent d. transform e. this type of plate dynamics does not occur in nature

b. convergent collision

1. Why do high income countries suffer the lowest number of deaths in natural disasters despite having relatively high populations? a. less people living in one area b. improved warning systems, disaster preparedness, and sanitation post-disasters c.higher level of education in the countries d. better hazard control in the countries e. all of the answers are correct

b. improved warning systems, disaster preparedness, and sanitation post-disasters

The plate tectonic theory was not taken seriously until... a. the first recorded earthquake occurred b. seafloor spreading was discovered c. similar fossils were found in South America and Africa d. it was noticed there was congruity in the shapes of the continents e. it is still not taken seriously

b. seafloor spreading was discovered

4. A massive forrest fire that causes more damage than a small contained one, but occurs less frequently is an example of... a. a catastrophe b. the magnitude-frequency concept c. forecasting a natural hazard d. linkages between natural hazards e. the risk of a natural hazard

b. the magnitude-frequency concept

If the figure of the age of the ocean floor, the oldest crust is the farthest away from mid ocean ridges, while the youngest curst is at the MOR's. This is consistent with... a. the theory of reversal of the earths magnetic field b. the theory of sea floor spreading c. the hot spot theory d. the theory of climate change e. the big bang theory

b. the theory of sea floor spreading

3.3 How is material amplification related to earthquake damage?

because the energy is transferred vertically in less sturdy materials, there is moe ground shaking and damage

4.4 What are potential natural service functions of tsunamis?

brings chemicals from the ocean to land, can have lasting effects on ecosystems that might otherwise be deprived of nutrients can help grow landscapes because of sediment brought to land

3.3 What is the primary cause of an earthquake catastrophe due to a moderate-size earthquake?

buildings falling because of lack of building codes

The three basic types of plate boundaries are a. divergent, convergent, and thrust b. transform, convergent, and thrust c. divergent, convergent and transform d. divergent, transform, and thrust e. trick question: there are four types of plate boundaries

c. divergent, convergent and transform

Which of the following is not part of the rock cycle a. chemical weathering b. erosion and transport c. evaporation and precipitation d. uplift e. crystallization of molten rock

c. evaporation and precipitation

What is the largest rock layer of earth? a. outer core b. inner core c. mantle d. moho e. crust

c. mantle

What enables the solid tectonic plates to move? a. gravitational potential energy b. solar radiation c. relatively weak asthenosphere d. the relatively strong mesosphere e. radioactive heating

c. relatively weak asthenosphere

4.6 How can vegetation help minimize tsunami damage?

can reduce the velocity of the water coming in

4.7 what can you do if you have had little warning and tsunami waves will arrive before you can evacuate?

climb to a roof or a tree and make sure to hold onto something that tis steady or have a floatation device available

the process that produce the earths materials, land, water and atmosphere necessary for survival are collectively known as the.., a. biogeochemical cycle b. agricultural cycle c. hydrologic cycle d. geologic cycle e. global carbon cycle

d. geologic cycle

What is not a way to minimize or avoid the effects of natural hazards? a. artificial control of natural processes b. evacuation c. disaster preparedness d. rebuild in the hazard area e. land-use planning

d. rebuild in the hazard area

2. Natural Hazards can be identified and studied using... a. the geologic cycle b. the Richter magnitude scale c. mapping techniques d. the scientific method e. all of the above

d. the scientific method

5. Possible increases in the flooding of the Yangtze river due to the basin losing about 85% of its forest to timber harvesting and conversion of land to agriculture is an example of... a. a change in forecasting the event b. poor city planning affecting the magnitude and frequency of an event c. an event increasing in magnitude and frequency through natural processes d. population growth affecting the magnitude and frequency of an event e. land-use changes affecting the magnitude and frequency of an event

e. land-use changes affecting the magnitude and frequency of an event

Which is not impacted by earths internal processes? a. mountain chains b. configuration of continents c. configuration of ocean basins d. chains of volcanos e. they are all impacted by the internal processes f. trick question: none are impacted by the internal processes

e. they are all impacted by the internal processes

which is not an important energy source for earths processes? a. solar radiation b. gravitational potential energy c. radioactivity d. extra terrestrial impacts e. trick question: they are all important energy sources

e. trick question: they are all important energy sources

4.6 what facts are necessary for obtaining tsunami-ready status

emergency operation center alert the public be able to receive tsunami warnings preparedness plan with emergency drills promote community awareness to educate people

3.9 What kinds of adjustments can a community make to the earthquake hazard?

facilities located in safer areas microzonation education building codes increased insurance and relief measures

3.8 what is the difference between earthquake prediction and forecast?

forecast is the likely hood of an earthquake and what the highest magnitude could be. prediction would be that an EQ is going to happen because of precursor events

3.9 What is retrofitting?

going back to making buildings stronger to fulfill building codes for earthquakes

1.4 Explain Robert Bea's message in his professional profile

he believes that we could do much more to prevent disasters and catastrophes through better planning, management, and just plain fortitude in doing what is necessary to save money down the road.

3.9 List personal adjustments you can make to prepare for an earthquake

home safety check teaching family what to do in case of an earthquake preparation of having food, water, medical supplies, cash and batteries turn off main gas line and other fire hazards

4.6 What are the three parts of developing a probabilistic approach to analyze future tsunami damages?

identify and specify the potential EQ source specify relationship that will attenuate or reduce the tsunami probabilistic analysis

3.4 How do plate boundary and intraplate earthquakes differ?

interplate earthquakes occur within the tectonic plate are dangerous because of the lack of preparedness can be influenced by human land use

2.4 What was Pangaea and when did it exist?

it was a giant continent that went from pole to pole over halfway around the earth it was constructed during earlier continental collisions, about 180 million years ago

4.7 What should you do if a tsunami warning is issued?

leave low lying areas and head for higher ground

4.3 List the ways tsunamis are linked to other hazards

linked to submarine and coastal earthquakes and landslides, volcanic explosions, asteroids and comets -affect the shaking and the waves

3.8 What kinds of information are useful in assessing seismic risk?

looking at ground rupture and shake maps looking at building codes and ground materials

3.5 Why do disease outbreaks sometimes follow major earthquakes and other large natural disasters?

loss of sanitation, housing, contaminated water supplies, disruption of public health services and the disturbance of natural environments. can rupture sewer and water-lines

3.8 What kinds of phenomena may be precursors for earthquakes?

microearthquakes or foreshocks lunar tides and unusual animal behaviors

4.2 Why do subduction zones produce the largest earthquakes?

overriding plates and subducting plates

2.5 What evidence suggests that slab pull may be the dominant driver of plate tectonics?

plates with large subjecting slabs attached and pulling on them tend to move more rapidly than those driven primarily by ridge push alone

4.1 define tsunami runup

refers to the furthest horizontal and vertical distance that the largest wave of the tsunami moves inland

2.5 What is the difference between ridge push and slab pull?

ridge push is gravitational push, like a landslide, away from the ridge crest toward the subduction zone slab pull results when the lithospheric plate moves farther from the ridge and cools, gradually becoming denser than the asthenosphere beneath it.

3.4 Why are earthquakes on the East Coast felt by more people than on the West Coast?

rocks are stronger so the waves can travel more efficiently and can be felt by more people

3.3 How does the depth of an earthquake's focus relate to shaking and damage?

the deeper the focus of an earthquake results in less shaking that will occur on the surface

3.2 Explain the earthquake cycle

the drop in elastic strain after an EQ and an accumulation strain before the next event

3.2 Where does the energy that produces seismic waves come from?

the energy comes from the sudden rupture of rocks that produce the waves which come from the releasing of stored elastic strain energy

3.2 What is the difference between the epicenter and the focus of an earthquake?

the epicenter is the place on the surface of the earth above where the ruptured rocks broke to produce the EQ the focus is the initial breaking or rupturing within the earth

1.4 explain what is meant by the magnitude-frequency concept

the frequency of an event in inverse related to its magnitude. this means that a large event, a forest fire, will do far more damage than a small contained burn, but large forest fires are less frequent than a small contained fire

1.1 What is meant by hazard mitigation

the means to reduce the effects of something, often used by scientists, planners and policy makers in describing disaster preparedness efforts

3.3 What does moment magnitude measure? How is it different from the Richter magnitude?

the moment magnitude scale measures the actual energy released during an EQ. the Richter scale is logarithmic and is only specified to one location

4.1 Describe how earthquakes produce a tsunami

the seafloor moves and triggers a landslide or the displacement of water from the EQ

3.5 What is tectonic subsidence?

the uplift and subsidence produced because of changes in the groundwater table

2.2 Why was the continental drift hypothesis not taken seriously?

theory was based on the congruity of the shape of continents, and the similarity in the fossils found in South America and Africa. It wasn't taken seriously because he could not explain the mechanism by which some of the contents drifted around earths surface. Sea Floor spreading helped prove the theory correct

2.6 Explain why convergent plate boundaries represent a greater hazard than other plate boundaries

they are more prone to natural hazards because volcanism is at a higher risk

4.6 what is the role of education in minimizing the consequences of a tsunami?

tsunami watch and warnings--knowing the difference

2.3 What are hot spots?

volcanic centers resulting from hot materials produced deep in the mantle, near the core-mantle boundary

1.6 in what ways might global climate change influence the occurrence of natural hazards such as coastal erosion, extreme-weather events and droughts?

with global warming, sea level is rising which leads to coastal erosion it can shift food production in some places because of the amount of precipitation, which would expand deserts and semiarid area. Because global warming feeds more energy from warming ocean water into the atmosphere, the extra energy will likely increase the severity and frequency of hazardous weather (thunderstorms, tornados, hurricanes etc.)