Nat Hazards Final
A significant greenhouse gas is ozone (O3).
T
A tornado warning is issued when Doppler radar shows strong indications of vorticity, or rotation, or if a tornado is sighted.
T
About 10% of impacts on Earth and the moon are caused by comets and not meteorites.
T
An asteroid impacts the earth with incredible velocity, and explodes violently on impact, creating a nearly round hole regardless of the impact angle.
T
Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are those that been emitted by human activities.
T
Areas downwind of large lakes, such as east of the Great Lakes, often have unusually large snowfalls, called lake-effect snow, in winter.
T
Desertification is the evolution of new desert environments due to an increase in drought conditions.
T
El Niño involves a large-scale redistribution of moisture rather than a change in the worldwide average.
T
Global climate models are based on a number of parameters including changing economic conditions.
T
Heat is transferred by radiation, conduction, and convection.
T
Ice cores represent proxy data for past climate conditions.
T
Impact of a large asteroid would trigger many other hazards, such as earthquakes within hundreds of kilometers of the impact site, as well as tsunamis.
T
Most meteorites have a fusion coating, a very thin layer of dark glass, formed when friction against Earth's atmosphere heats it above its melting temperature.
T
NEOShield is a joint research project of the United States, Russia, and several European countries, to study three main ways to divert an asteroid headed for Earth.
T
Paleontologists who support the asteroid theory state that fossil and geological records suggest that a single sudden event triggered the extinction.
T
Some of the hazards associated with thunderstorms include lightning, strong winds, and hail.
T
Temperatures rise more slowly in the oceans than on the continents because it takes more energy to heat water.
T
A space object that is described as a large, dirty snowball is a _____. a. comet b. meteor c. meteorite d. asteroid e. shooting star
a
At _____, the sun's energy is more intense than at any other time. a. noon b. dusk c. mid-afternoon d. dawn e. midnight
a
Climate models show that global atmospheric temperatures are likely to _____ during the 21st century. a. rise b. fall c. oscillate d. remain static e. cycle
a
Hailstorms are most frequent in _____. a. late spring and early summer b. late winter and early spring c. late summer and early fall d. midsummer e. midwinter
a
If seasonal monsoons do not come in India from June to September, the likely result will be _____. a. drought b. a malaria epidemic c. invasion of non-native plants d. a high water table e. more severe typhoons
a
Swelling soils can often be recognized from popcorn clays or sticky clays that build up on tires in wet weather.
true
The Deccan volcanic eruptions, implicated in the extinction of dinosaurs, took place over a time period of about 750,000 years in ____ India Spain China
India
As greenhouse gases become more abundant in Earth's atmosphere, they absorb more radiation and increase Earth's surface temperature.
T
Asteroids are believed to be remnants of material that did not coalesce into planets when the other planets formed around our sun.
T
Coal-fired power plants are the largest contributors of CO2 into our atmosphere.
T
An example of proxy data for climate measurements would be _____. a. tree rings b. historical records c. weather stations d. climate records e. weather balloons
a
An example of water-swelling material is _____, such as that found in the Makoshika badlands near Glendive, easternmost Montana. a. popcorn clay b. dolomite c. calcium hydroxide d. kaolin e. hydrated lime
a
The width and length of a tornado are important indicators of intensity because they ___ indicate areas of destruction indicate approximate wind speed indicate areas of destruction are measures of energy
areas of destruction
Ice storms are especially prevalent in the United States in _____. a. the Midwest b. New England c. the Great Plains d. the Pacific Northwest e. the Southeast
b
Karst landscapes form from the slow dissolving of rock, typically limestone, by a mild acid that forms when water is mixed with ____ from the air and soil. a. oxygen b. carbon dioxide c. methane d. nitrogen
b
The Leaning Tower of Pisa leans because the ground under it consists of _____. a. debris b. marine clay c. mud d. sandstone e. soil
b
The heat that radiates from Earth outward is mostly _____ radiation. a. microwave b. long-wave c. gamma d. ultraviolet e. short-wave
b
The increase in the temperature at the surface of the earth _____ is known as a geothermal gradient. a. yearly b. with depth c. as a result of climate change d. seasonally e. when El Nino is active
b
The steady rise in global temperature since the mid-1800s has been attributed to _____. a. an increase in volcanic eruptions b. an increase in fossil fuel use c. electromagnetic anomalies d. the Milankovitch cycles e. sunspot activity
b
Which city is known for its severe lake-effect snows? a. Fargo, North Dakota b. Buffalo, New York c. Wilmington, Delaware d. Providence, Rhode Island e. Denver, Colorado
b
Which geological term describes the steepest angle at which any loose material is stable? a. creep b. angle of repose c. slope angle d. driving forcing e. resisting force
b
Which pattern is most likely to be true during La Niña? a. the Pacific Northwest is warmer and drier b. the Pacific Northwest is cool and wet c. New England is drier than usual d. the southern states are warmer and moister e. the southern states are cooler and drier
b
Which state is most likely to experience sinkholes? a. South Dakota b. Pennsylvania c. Utah d. Maine e. Idaho
b
A high albedo is a property of _____. a. crops b. soil c. a glacier d. black asphalt e. a forest
c
A road cut through a landslide area can be stabilized by _____. a. saturating the area with water b. removing excess plants and trees c. loading its toe area d. undercutting the toe e. loading its head area
c
Although earthquakes are often associated with landslides, those below magnitude _____ trigger few landslides. a. five b. eight c. four d. six e. seven
c
Approximately 93% of all meteors are _____. a. iron meteorites b. stony-iron meteorites c. chondrites d. achondrites e. olivine meteorites
c
If cool air in the upper atmosphere has a higher density than its surrounding warmer air and thus falls, it gives rise to a(n) _____. a. adiabatic effect b. low-pressure system c. high-pressure system d. Coriolis effect e. orographic effect
c
In 2013, _____ produced about 12.9% of our electrical power in the U.S. a. natural gas b. coal c. renewable sources d. nuclear e. hydropower
c
Most _____, or chunks of space rock orbiting the sun, stay within a belt located between Mars and Jupiter. a. craters b. meteorites c. asteroids d. meteors e. comets
c
Presently, the National Weather Service ranks tornado intensity using the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which lumps the storms into one of six categories based on _____. a. time on the ground b. length and width c. damage done d. wind speed
c
Research shows that global surface temperature from 1880 to 2015 has been correlated with _____. a. the Milankovitch cycles b. sunspot activity c. the level of carbon dioxide emissions d. carbon monoxide emissions e. the tilt of Earth's axis
c
Stalactites are formed by water seeping into a cavern through _____. a. sedimentary layers b. nonacidic soil c. limestone d. shale e. bedrock
c
Thunderstorms form when _____. a. an inversion occurs and then breaks down quickly b. cool, moist air rises into warm air aloft c. warm, moist air rapidly rises into colder air and condenses d. evaporation and condensation occur quickly e. a warm front overtakes a cold front
c
Warm shallow ocean temperatures of the equatorial western Pacific Ocean are known as ____. a. the Pacific decadal oscillation b. La Niña c. El Niño d. the North Atlantic oscillation e. the Arctic oscillation
c
Which slope material is most likely to slide? a. bedrock b. basalt c. shale d. granite e. limestone
c
A steep slope, weakened by _______, is a likely place for a landslide to occur. drought erosion plant growth
erosion
Because the reaction between acidic water and limestone occurs more rapidly under warm, dry conditions, caverns, and sinkholes are most common in desert areas.
false
Debris flows develop in steep, mountainous regions marked by cliffs with nearly vertical fractures or other zones of weakness.
false
Land subsidence occurs over much less area than sinkholes.
false
When a landslide dam fails, flooding is usually minimal.
false
When moist air reaches land and is forced to rise over a mountain range, it expands and cools, in what is called the hydrologic cycle.
false
Talus slopes are the fan-shaped piles of rock fragments banked up against the base of a cliff.
true
The ability of a slope to resist sliding depends on a balance between driving force and resisting force.
true
The seismic detection method for discovering landslides can only work effectively when paired with satellite images.
true
The slow downslope movement of surface soils and weak rock, which is not especially dangerous, is called soil creep.
true
The water table describes the level to which groundwater rises in a well or hole in the ground.
true
To stop a slope from moving, highway engineers sometimes pile heavy boulders on the toe area to increase the resisting mass.
true
Waves undercutting coastal cliffs, such as those of Big Sur, south of Monterey, California, cause frequent slides, which may cause a hazard for scenic highways.
true
Weather is often associated with the boundary between a cold front and a warm front.
true
Research on bird species is complicated by the fact that ______ many species winter in other countries flight patterns are not always known birds are so adaptable
winter in other countries
Swelling soils can be just as damaging to structures as sinkholes and subsidence.
true
The disturbance caused by swelling soil tends to be _____. a. dangerous b. instantaneous c. slow d. trivial e. rapid
C
Although mass extinctions occurred as a result of the meteorite 65 million years ago, it is not likely that many extinctions would occur today.
F
An example of a low-albedo surface is a snowfield
F
An outcome of a volcanic eruption would be atmospheric heating.
F
Fossil fuels include methane, carbon dioxide, and oxygen.
F
Like asteroids, most comets originate in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, where you would expect another planet to be orbiting.
F
Of the three types of meteorites, stony-iron meteorites make up about 93% of the meteorites on earth.
F
Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, views the suggestion that climate change could be responsible for intensifying tornadoes as highly suspicious.
F
Radiant energy from the sun reaches Earth in forms of long-wave radiation that include visible light and heat.
F
Solar energy changes over the course of a day because Earth's axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane around the sun.
F
The Arizona—Mexico Monsoon develops in late spring as land temperatures tend to increase.
F
The United States has an unusually high number of large and damaging tornadoes relative to the rest of the world, over 5000 per year on average.
F
The release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere is part of the hydrologic cycle.
F
Thunderstorms are most commonly associated with stratus clouds.
F
To date, only nine people have been killed by being struck by meteorites.
F
Tornadoes are most prevalent in the northwest and northeast corners of the United States.
F
Under normal circumstances, the temperature of the lower atmosphere increases with elevation but an inversion represents the opposite situation.
F
Unlike many other natural hazards and disasters, drought is not an abrupt or dramatic event and its outcome is not disastrous.
F
When a person experiences hypothermia, it is important to warm them as quickly as possible, beginning with their extremities.
F
When an asteroid impacts a site on earth, the resultant glass particles are strictly from the material being struck, and not from the asteroid.
F
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature states that nearly a half of amphibians and a quarter of mammals are threatened with extinction, but so far only about 14% of bird species are threatened.
T
The K-T boundary is a thin, dark layer of dust and elemental-carbon soot from fires ignited by the impact fireball 65 million years ago at the Chicxulub (Mexico) site, which ignited fires worldwide.
T
The age and size of the Chicxulub crater basin in Mexico make that impact the most likely cause of the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs.
T
The heat that radiates from Earth outward is mostly long-wave radiation.
T
The large, circular features that cover most of the moon's surface are known as lunar maria and most are filled with basalt. These occurred mostly during the early evolution of the moon and Earth.
T
The probability of a damaging asteroid or comet striking the earth within the next 200 years is very small, but it is clear that it will eventually happen.
T
Modern houses built in arctic zones _____ to avoid causing permafrost thaw. a. are raised off the ground b. use a system of fans c. are built into the ground on 3 sides d. have cooled basements e. utilize deep piers sunk into the soil
a
One reasonable scenario for dealing with an asteroid that is heading toward Earth is to _____. a. deflect it b. record it c. destroy it d. decrease its velocity e. study it
a
Rocks on the receiving end of an impact show distinctive characteristics: features with rough striations radiating downward and outward from the shock effect. These are called _____. a. shatter cones b. spherules c. target rocks d. ejecta fragments e. horsetail formations
a
Swelling soils and shales are those that contain _____, a group of clay minerals that expand when they get wet. a. smectite b. sandstone c. shale d. kaolin e. limestone
a
The study and categorization of near-Earth objects is done by _____. a. NASA b. U.S. Forest Service c. Department of the Interior d. USGS e. NEOWISE
a
Those affected most by severe heat waves are _____. a. poor, elderly people in high-crime areas b. males c. people who live far from urban areas d. females e. those from equatorial areas
a
When tens of meters of sandy and permeable sediment exist on top of limestone bedrock, and numerous sinkholes gradually form, this is known as _____. a. cover subsidence b. cover collapse c. karst d. overburden e. dissolution
a
Which description is most accurate of the concept of climate? a. moderately humid with an average high temperature of 46 to 75°F b. severe thunderstorms with a chance of tornadoes c. windy, with maximum wind speeds of 45 mph d. sunny, with a barometric pressure of 30 mm Hg e. rainy, with short periods of thundershowers
a
The angle of repose on a hillside is usually between _____ degrees. a. 15 and 25 b. 45 and 55 c. 30 and 45 d. 5 and 15 e. 25 and 30
c
The crater from the asteroid impact that most likely killed the dinosaurs is located in _____. a. Arizona b. Siberia c. Mexico d. eastern Canada e. Peru
c
The large impact from 65 million years ago that likely caused extinction of the dinosaurs also most likely produced sufficient _____ rain to be the primary cause of the mass extinction. a. hydrochloric acid b. acetic acid c. nitric acid d. sulfuric acid e. carbolic acid
c
The president of the Audubon Society states that many bird species are at risk, including one already brought back from the brink of extinction, the _____. a. trumpeter swan b. wild turkey c. bald eagle d. black skimmer
c
What kind of clouds are a sign of the unstable weather that can lead to severe thunderstorms and potentially tornadoes? a. cirrus b. cirrostratus c. mammatus d. cumulus e. lenticular
c
When large areas of permafrost melt, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and _____ are massively released, fostering even more global warming. a. carbon monoxide b. nitrous dioxide c. methane d. sulfur dioxide e. oxygen
c
Which atmospheric layer is farthest from Earth? a. stratosphere b. ozone layer c. ionosphere d. troposphere e. mesosphere
c
Which group of people is least likely to favor a landslide hazard map? a. medical professionals b. EMTs c. developers d. the legislature e. rescue personnel
c
Which human activity could be responsible for land subsidence? a. use of fertilizers b. burning of coal c. mining for oil d. dam building e. use of pesticide
c
Which sociological event would most likely result from the impact of a modest-sized asteroid? a. widespread looting b. decrease in atmospheric temperatures c. food wars d. cessation of agriculture e. formation of nitric acid in the atmosphere
c
Which type of downslope movement is represented by this description: "Large masses of rock separate from a steep slope or cliff, sometimes pried loose by freezing water, to fall, break into smaller fragments, and sweep down the slopes below"? a. rotational slump b. debris avalanche c. rockfall d. creep e. debris flow
c
A landslide's seismic signature can be differentiated from that of an earthquake by _____. a. its intermittent pattern b. its sudden burst of energy c. the intensity of its seismic activity d. the length of its seismic activity
d
A talus slope is basically a pile of _____ banked up against a slope. a. soil b. sandstone c. mud d. rocks e. hoarfrost
d
Cohesion is an important force holding soil grains together and it is generally provided by _____. a. buoyancy b. load c. frictional resistance d. surface tension e. slope angle
d
Heat energy transferred by _____ vibrates the molecules of the solid (or liquid or gas) through which it passes, causing vibration in adjacent molecules to move the heat from a higher temperature molecule to a lower temperature molecule. a. an adiabatic effect b. convection c. radiation d. conduction e. an orographic effect
d
On steep cliffs overlooking the ocean, such as those found on the coast of Washington, the risk of landslides is increased by _____. a. the presence of sand in the soil b. mudflows c. drought conditions d. wave action at the cliff base e. a heavy concentration of shale
d
Over 60 percent of living species on Earth, including all nonbirdlike dinosaurs, became extinct at the end of the _____ Period. a. Jurassic b. Deccan c. Devonian d. Cretaceous
d
Peak tornado season is _____. a. June to September in the southeast b. June to September in the in the southwest c. April to May in the southwest d. April to May in the southeast e. April to May in the northwest
d
Radiant energy from the sun reaches Earth in forms of shortwave radiation that includes _____. a. microwaves b. gamma rays c. beta particles d. visible light and heat e. radio waves
d
Sediments such as salt and _____ also produce karst landscapes and underlie large areas of the United States. a. sand b. smectite c. volcanic ash d. gypsum e. shale
d
The large impact at the _____ was the cause of the K-T boundary, which is a worldwide layer of soot from fires ignited by the impact fireball 65 million years ago. a. Manicouagan crater of the eastern Canadian Shield b. Virginia continental margin near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay c. Beaverhead site in Medicine Lodge Valley near Dillon, Montana d. Chicxulub crater basin in Mexico e. Manson impact structure in central Iowa
d
The path of a tornado is most commonly from _____, so being north to east of a storm is commonly the greatest danger zone. a. west to east b. southeast to northwest c. northeast to southwest d. southwest to northeast e. east to west
d
Water-saturated muds in marine bays, estuaries, and old saline lakebeds are called _____. a. kaolinite b. smectite c. feldspars d. quick clays e. rhyolitic clays
d
What are the largest contributors of CO2 into our atmosphere? a. automobile emissions b. nuclear power plants c. volcanic eruptions d. coal-fired power plants e. factory emissions
d
Which North American city is most likely to be associated with temperature inversions? a. Chicago, Illinois b. Seattle, Washington c. Jackson, Mississippi d. Denver, Colorado e. St. Louis, Missouri
d
All water on land ultimately comes from _____. a. natural springs b. wells drilled into the water table c. deep aquifers d. groundwater e. the ocean
e
An example of oversteepening a slope is _____. a. building a home at the top of a scenic overlook b. building a home in a very dry area c. creating septic tanks in a neighborhood d. building swimming pools in a neighborhood e. wave action eroding the slope beside Highway 1 in California
e
In the hydrologic cycle, plants add water to the atmosphere through the process of _____. a. run off b. precipitation c. condensation d. evaporation e. evapotranspiration
e
Land subsidence occurs when the ground settles due to _____. a. the presence of muddy sediments b. the presence of gypsum in the soil c. saturated ground d. a high water table e. changes in fluid levels underground
e
One of the principle greenhouse gases is _____. a. carbon tetrachloride b. sulfur dioxide c. carbon monoxide d. oxygen e. methane
e
Santa Ana winds are very strong, dry winds that move southwestward from a high-pressure cell over _____. a. the inland northwest b. the northern Rocky Mountains c. the Pacific Northwest d. the lee side of the southern Rocky Mountains e. the Great Basin of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona
e
Sinkholes in Florida are most common _____. a. during winter b. during late summer c. at the end of the wet season d. during a drought e. at the end of the dry season
e
The largest identified open impact crater is in _____. a. Mexico b. Peru c. Arizona d. eastern Canada e. Siberia
e
The level of water in the soil is called the _____. a. water pressure b. water resistance c. cohesion d. angle of repose e. water table
e
There has/have been _____ documented case(s) of a person being struck by a meteorite. a. forty-six b. twelve c. twenty-two d. four e. one
e
What is one geological event that seems to coincide with both major extinctions and major impacts of asteroids? a. sunspots b. increased hurricane activity c. disruption of Earth's orbit d. disruption of earth's magnetic field e. formation of flood basalts
e
Sinkholes sometimes occur where salt has been mined.
true
What is our best estimate about the probability of a civilization-ending asteroid striking Earth? a. There is no way to predict. b. It could happen but not for a long time. c. The probability is lower than that of being dealt a royal flush hand in poker. d. The probability is high. e. It could happen at any time.
e
Which day has the most hours of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere? a. Winter Solstice b. Fall Equinox c. Vernal Equinox d. March 21 e. Summer Solstice
e
Which of the following landslide dams has never failed? a. Gros Ventre, Wyoming b. Mayunmarca, Peru c. Polallie Creek, Oregon d. St. Francis, California e. Madison, Montana
e
Which space objects come from the Oort cloud? a. asteroids b. achondrites c. chondrites d. stony-iron meteorites e. comets
e
Granite and basalt are more likely to slip than sedimentary rocks.
false
Increased water pressure within pore spaces provides greater cohesion and pulls mineral grains of a slope closer together.
false
It is usually safe to build in areas of former landslides because the downslope forces have been relieved.
false
Logging of hillsides can often stabilize them.
false
Planting trees and shrubs on a slope is generally counterproductive to restricting slides.
false
Sinkholes develop when the overlying ground collapses into underground soil cavities over shale.
false
Swelling soils and shales are those that contain limestones, a group of minerals that expand when they get wet.
false
The angle of repose consists primarily of the force of gravity working on the weight of the material.
false
The large amount of subsidence (nine inches in some places) in the Sacramento—San Joaquin Valley of California is due largely to the pumping of petroleum products.
false
The polar vortex refers to northern hemisphere conditions near Earth's surface.
false
The thawing of permafrost is a positive outcome of climate change.
false
The lowest end of a rotational slump is called a _____. a. scarp b. toe c. slip plane d. talus slope e. slump block
toe
Cohesion is an important force holding soil grains together.
true
Earthquakes are often the triggers for landslides.
true
Geothermal gradient is a term that refers to the fact that the temperature at the surface of the earth increases with depth.
true
Gravity is what causes groundwater to flow into streams or lakes and ponds.
true
One of the most common causes of land subsidence is the pumping of water or petroleum out of the ground.
true
Permafrost is ground that remains frozen year round.
true
Sinkhole hazards are common in karst areas that are underlain by limestone.
true
Sinkholes frequently occur in limestone areas because groundwater is somewhat acidic.
true
Since karst areas typically contain vast amounts of ______ organizations are collaborating to educate people about the fragility of the karst landscape. coal oil reserves water
water
