Geology 111
What is the primary cause of landslides
gravity exceeds strength of the slope
As a tsunami approaches land, the height of a tsunami wave ____.
increases primarily because the water depth and velocity decreases.
Earthquakes
occur on faults when rocks rupture, releasing stored up stress as energy
What are two main causes of tsunami?
subduction-zone earthquakes and landslide into the ocean
Which type of earthquake waves do the most damage?
surface waves
The background in the painting, The Scream, by Edvard Munch is evidence of what?
the high amount of sulfur dioxide put into the atmosphere by the eruption of Krakatau in 1883.
What does the Richter Magnitude Scale depend on?
the maximum amplitude of earthquake waves on a seismograph
A transform plate boundary involves
two plates sliding laterally past each other.
Between 20,000 - 800,000 years ago, there were several ice ages (periods of global cooling interspersed with periods of warming). During these extended periods of cooling (we call these glaciations), ice advanced over the land and CO2 concentrations decreased. During warming periods (we call these interglacials) CO2 concentrations increased. What was the average atmospheric CO2 concentration during the ice ages?
185 ppm
What would the Volcanic Explosivity Index be if Yellowstone erupts?
8
How many states were directly affected by the 1993 Flood?
9
Why does Japan rely so heavily on nuclear energy?
Because Japan has few natural resources that it can use to generate electricity.
What is the major difference between oceanic crust and continental crust?
Continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust.
Earthquakes associated with reverse faulting results in crustal shortening, which is generally found at which type of boundary?
Convergent
Which of the following volcanoes formed over a hot spot?
Hawaii
Which town's levee withstood the flood?
Prairie du Rocher, IL
Which of the following was the main reason why most scientists did not believe in the concept of continental drift?
The originator of the concept of continental drift did not adequately explain how the continents could move.
Which of the following is true with respect to tsunamis?
Tsunamis occur when the seafloor is suddenly uplifted or dropped down during an earthquake.
According the Case Study, what do residents of Houston blame for exacerbating flooding in their neighborhoods?
Unregulated development/building in the area
How do volcanoes form at convergent boundaries?
Volcanoes at convergent boundaries form when the melting temperature of the rock is lowered by the water in the subducting plate. This melt may then rise to the surface where it will form a volcano.
Which letter represents the epicenter of the Tohoku Earthquake?
Y
What is Anak Krakatau?
a small volcano that has formed over the site of the original Krakatau.
Like all hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Katrina began as _____.
a storm off the west coast of Africa.
The boundary between the Gonave microplate and the Caribbean plate is _____.
a strike slip fault.
The drawing below shows a cross-sectional view of a subduction zone. An earthquake that occurs at location X has the potential to displace the overlying seawater, causing
a tsunami
VEI stands for ______.
a volcano's explosivity index.
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes occurred _______.
all of the above
The Reelfoot Rift formed _______.
as a result of the breakup of Rodinia over 700 million years ago.
According to the intensity map of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the greatest intensity experienced during this earthquake was ______.
IX
Which does NOT control the characteristics or shape of a coastline
dominant wind direction
Most of Earth's active volcanoes are found _____.
in the Ring of Fire.
Moment magnitude depends on what main factor(s)?
shear strength of the rocks displaced, total surface area of rocks ruptured, and average slip distance on the fault
Which of the following would not be a part of the Ring of Fire?
the Cascade Mountains
What makes Houston susceptible to flooding?
All the above
Which of the following is not true concerning tsunamis on the open ocean?
A tsunami in the open ocean will look like a huge wall of water to a ship in its path.
The force of the October 1963 Vajont landslide was enough to _____.
All of the above are results of the 1963 Vajont Dam landslide.
The Gonave microplate formed in response to ______.
All of the above have contributed to forming the Gonave plate.
A tsunami may occur when _____.
All of the above have the potential to cause a tsunami.
Based upon knowledge of landslide physics, where did geologists direct rescue workers to search for survivors?
At the distal edge of the slide
Which is the product of a non-explosive style of eruption?
Lava flows
After the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over New Orleans, why did the flood waters continue to rise in the low-lying areas of the city?
Levee along two canals failed and water from Lake Ponchartrain drained into the city center.
Select all the engineering systems or structures mentioned in the video that were put in place in New Orleans to deal with potential flooding.
Levees flood walls pumps drainage canals
Which of the following is true?
Much of the initial problems associated with the nuclear reactors was due to flooding of the generators, brought on by the tsunami.
What do the red and blue dots represent on the graph and small map?
NOAA observatory stations
Which earthquake waves travel the fastest and are felt first and appear first on a seismogram?
P waves
Which of the following is not true with respect to the San Andreas fault?
The San Andreas fault represents the convergent boundary between the North American and the Pacific plates.
What is the tectonic reason for the Sunda Strait?
The Sunda Strait formed as a result of the wrenching motion caused by the north-northeast motion of the island of Sumatra and the east motion of the island of Java.
Which of the following is true with respect to the underlying geology in the Vajont River valley?
The Vajont River valley is underlain by rocks that dip (tilt) into the valley.
In the spring of 2003, some unusual events occurred in Yellowstone that caused some to worry that Yellowstone might erupt. Select the 3 events that occurred in 2003.
The ground heated up and cracks opened up. Large earthquakes occurred in the park. Steamboat Geyser, a geyser that can be dormant for up to 50 years, began erupting.
Why is Yellowstone's supervolcano so explosive?
The magma beneath Yellowstone is full of gas and very viscous because it is silica-rich.
In the days preceding Hurrican Katrina, why did many people decide to stay in New Orleans? (select all that are true)
They were elderly or sick Many did not have transportation They had survived previous hurricanes without evacuating.
Why would a home built on the floodplain behind a levee be safe from flooding?
This statement is not true.
The most recent supervolcano to erupt was _________ and it occurred ________ years ago. This volcano may have nearly ended human life on earth.
Toba; 74,000
A rapid retreat of the shoreline can indicate a tsunami wave is imminent.
True
Major eruptions of volcanoes emit large amounts of CO2 and CH4, but their total contribution to atmospheric carbon levels is small.
True
Why are the impacts of coastal hazards such as erosion, storm surge, and flooding so great?
because densely populated areas are located at or near the coasts
Which type or types of seismic waves can travel through the mantle of the Earth and be recorded by seismographs?
both P and S waves
In what way can the construction of dams and levees INCREASE flood damage (both loss of property and life) on a floodplain?
by giving a false sense of security that encourages building and living on the floodplain
How might global warming exacerbate coastal hazards?
global warming is accompanied by sea level rise
Which of the following is the major driving force in all mass movements?
gravity
One of the geologists listed some potential precursors to a Yellowstone eruption. The precursors he listed are earthquake swarms, heating of the ground, increasing hydrothermal events, and _____.
ground uplift.
Highly explosive magmas are controlled by which of the following?
high silica content and high water
Select all the factors that contributed to the destabilization of the slope and led to the 2014 landslide.
higher than average precipitation undercutting of the slope by the Stillaguamish River slope composed of glacial sediments with high porosity
A strike-slip fault has what type of motion?
horizontal
What does the Mercalli Intensity Scale depend on?
how much damage the shaking caused
The Great Tohoku earthquake occurred _______.
in the Japan trench subduction zone.
We can see the correlation between the start of industrialization (increasing manufacturing) and the increasing CO2 levels. What activity related to industrialization would add increasingly large amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere?
increasing use of fossil fuels
Earth emits most of its radiation in the _________ part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
infrared
Sand boils and mud volcanoes form when _____.
intense shaking ejects overpressured mud and sand to the surface along narrow fractures.
Over the last 30 years, hurricanes have become more ______ due to _______.
intense, warmer ocean temperatures
How do impermeable surfaces (ie: concrete) from urbanization affect runoff and flooding?
it increases runoff and decreases the time between the precipitation event and the water reaching the stream.
All the engineering approaches below are put in place to prevent a river from flooding except...
jetties
A basalt magma typically erupts in what form?
lava flows
All the engineering structures below are used to alter or slow coastal wave erosion except...
levee
When pore spaces in sediment becomes saturated with water, the sediment loses strength and cohesion. This phenomenon is called __________.
liquifaction
The current flowing parallel to and just offshore of a beach is called
longshore current
Rapid global warming may result in all the changes listed below except...
migration of people to coastal areas
The theory of continental drift was explained and replaced by the theory of plate tectonics.
True
Volcanoes with high silica magmas generally have more explosive eruptions than those with lower silica magmas.
True
When the Dec. 16, 1811 New Madrid earthquake occurred in Missouri, church bells in New York rang in response to shaking from this earthquake.
True
Why did the 17th Street and London Street canals fail?
Water soaked into the underlying peat layer and weakened the soft sediments beneath the levee wall.
What is Yellowstone?
Yellowstone is a caldera that overlies an active magma chamber.
What is the source of Yellowstone's volcanism?
Yellowstone sits on a hotspot.
Beach nourishment _______________.
a coastal engineering method that replenishes the sand to provide a recreation beach and helps protect coastal properties from erosion by widening the beach
The layer of the Earth that deforms and flows, behaving like a plastic, is called the _____.
asthenosphere
The costs of catastrophic events continue to increase primarily because ____.
more people are moving into areas at high risk for natural disasters
Unlike regular ocean waves, tsunami waves are different because they ____.
move much faster
The residential construction that sustained the least amount of damage during the Haiti earthquake was _____.
one-story shanties made of mud and twig walls, sheet metal roofs, and earthen floors.
The massive loss of life in the 2010 Haiti earthquake was primarily due to _____.
poor construction and lack of attention to building design in residential homes.
An unstable marine sediment with a disorganized structure that can flow like water if disturbed is called _________.
quick clay
Greenhouse gases include all of the following except ____.
radon
Most natural disasters are which of the following?
rarely if ever cyclic because there are too many overlapping effects
Streams receive water from 2 primary sources:
runoff and groundwater
Other than limestone, what types of rocks are soluble in water and can form cavities that collapse?
salt and gypsum
When you watch the segment for 1979-2011, you'll see the CO2 levels fluctuate (most dramatically at monitoring stations in the northern mid and low latitudes - around the equator) during each year. Why is this?
seasonal changes in vegetation photosynthesis
Marine organisms preserve the current oxygen-isotope ratio in their _______________.
shells
The Great Tohoku earthquake occurred as a result of ______.
subduction of the Pacific plate under the Japan plate.
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were different from most California earthquakes because
the New Madrid earthquakes were centered in a plate interior
Using LIDAR mapping and carbon dating, geologists found evidence that _______.
the area around Oso had a history of landslides
The recurrence interval for a flood of a given magnitude is defined as...
the average number of years between occurrences of a flood of that magnitude or greater.
Why does the damming of rivers sometime contribute to coastal erosion?
the supply of new sand to replenish beaches is cut off
Which of the following would be a modern analogy to the Reelfoot Rift when it was active?
the triple junction centered around the Afar Triangle in northeast Africa.
When waves approach the shore and enter shallow water
the waves slow down and the wave height increases
How did mountain ranges like the Himalayas, Alps, and Appalachians form?
they all formed along continent-continent convergent plate boundaries
What effect do groins, breakwaters, and jetties have on coastal erosion?
they interrupt the transport of sand down the beach front
Which of the following is NOT a common reason cited for building large dams on rivers?
to raise groundwater levels
Approximately 40,000 people died as a result of the 1883 eruption of Krakatau. What were the two volcanic hazards responsible for these deaths?
tsunamis and pyroclastic flows
The sun's peak radiation is in the _______ part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
visible light
As a result of mass movements on the slope above the Vajont Dam, _______.
water levels in the reservoir were raised and lowered several times in an attempt to reach hydraulic equilibrium between the water level in the reservoir and the nearby rocks.
What are the two most abundant gases in magmas?
water vapor and carbon dioxide
Increases in precipitation lead to increased landslide risk. On average, how many landslide-related deaths occur in Nepal during each monsoon season?
100
Earthquakes associated with normal faulting cause the extension of Earth's crust. This type of faulting is generally associated with which type of plate boundary?
Divergent
Which of the following did not occur during the Dec. 16, 1811, New Madrid earthquake?
Downed power lines caused numerous small fires along the Mississippi River.
From the time the siren went off and the tsunami hit the city of Sendai, how long did the residents of Sendai have to evacuate to higher ground before the tsunami hit?
3 minutes
How long before a flood can someone purchase insurance from the National Flood Insurance program?
30 days
An unusually wet summer was the primary cause of the 1993 Flood. The jet stream became locked over the midwest and ____ inches of rain fell over ____ months.
30, 6
Over the last 800,000 years before industrialization (between the year 1800 and 800,000 BCE), what was the largest amount of CO2 during that time?
300 ppm
Over the last 800,000 years before industrialization (between the year 1800 and 800,000 BCE), when was the largest peak of CO2?
325,000 yrs ago
What was the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere in January, 2017?
406 ppm
According to the video, how many people died in the Oso Landslide?
43
How many states in the United States are affected by landslides
50
The 1993 Flood had a recurrence interval of ______.
500 years
What is the elevation of the city of New Orleans?
7-10 feet below sea level
The wetlands surrounding New Orleans are rapidly disappearing. Why?
A and B
It was assumed that Yellowstone's heat source was an extinct volcano. What event made scientists realize that Yellowstone was still active and prompted them to take a closer look at the seismic activity of the national park?
A large earthquake in Yellowstone National Park in 1959.
Select the 3 methods inspired by the 1993 Flood to prevent future damage and loss from flooding.
Elevating homes above flood level Returning agricultural land to natural wetlands Leaving crop residue on the land to reduce soil erosion and run-off
The October 1963 Vajont Dam landslide occurred without any warning.
False
The Reelfoot Rift formed when the supercontinent of Pangaea began to split apart around 700 million years ago.
False
The terms 'tsunami' and 'tidal wave' mean the same thing and are interchangeable when discussing a seismic sea wave.
False
What was unique about the 2014 Oso Landslide?
Given the height of the slope, the slide debris traveled 5 times farther than it should have.
Which proxy records are used in reconstructing the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations before modern direct measurements and monitoring stations?
Ice cores
If you are at the beach and feel a large earthquake, what should you do, and when should you do it?
Immediately run up slope as far as possible.
Yellowstone's most recent eruption was _______. There is evidence that Yellowstone has errupted _____ in the last 2.3 million years.
~600,000 years ago, 3 times
Approximately when did the rapid increase in human-produced atmospheric CO2 begin?
1800s
Why is it warmer in the northern hemisphere in July than it is in December?
The sun's rays shine more directly on the northern hemisphere in the summer than in the winter.
In a single year, which of the following is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide into Earth's atmosphere?
coal-fired power plants
Which change is NOT expected as a result of global warming?
increase in the flow of the warm Gulf Stream toward Europe
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2014 estimated that Earth's average surface temperature would likely rise by how much above preindustrial levels by 2050?
two degrees Celsius
Why does the intensity map for the Dec. 16, 1811, earthquake not show any intensities on the west side of the map?
Intensities are not shown on the west side of the map because the population of European settlers in that part of the U.S. was sparse.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone does not include which of the following states?
Iowa
When Charles Keeling began monitoring CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in 1960, he recorded CO2 levels at around 320 ppm. What is the rate of change in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels between 1960 and 2017?
1.5 ppm/yr
The October 1963 Vajont Dam landslide killed around 2,500 people. How long did it take for the mass movement to flow out of the reservoir, over the dam, and into the valley below?
12 minutes
Approximately what year did CO2 levels start to noticeably increase from the pre-industrial levels? This part of the animation moves quickly so you will have to pause and rewind.
1850
After scientists installed seismographs, how many earthquakes per week did they record?
25
Using the accompanying diagram, label the features correctly.
A: head, B: toe, C: crown, D: scarp
The meteorologist who originally proposed the idea of continents being able to move around on Earth's surface was _____.
Alfred Wegener
Which agency manages the rivers, dams, and levees in the United States.?
Army Corp of Engineers
How do we know about the internal structure of the earth?
By using the behavior of seismic waves as they travel through the earth.
Which town's levee failure was credited with saving St Louis, Missouri from flooding.
Columbia, IL
Earthquakes occur in association with convergent and transform fault boundaries, but not divergent boundaries.
False
The originator of the theory of continental drift called the single landmass _______.
Pangaea
Water can be removed from a wet, unstable slope in all the following ways except...
Placing a load on the slope to squeeze water out
What causes caverns or open spaces to form in limestone?
Rainwater mixes with carbon dioxide to make weak carbonic acid that dissolves limestone.
Besides wind, what is the biggest hazard from hurricanes?
Storm surge
The Midcontinent Rift which underlies part of Iowa is evidence of what past geologic event?
The Midcontinent Rift is evidence that the central part of the North American continent was once the site of a divergent boundary that failed.
Which of the following did not occur as a result of the eruption of Krakatau?
The sound of the explosions could be heard as far away as San Francisco, California.
What caused the Industrial Canal & Intercoastal Waterway levees to fail?
The storm surge sent a huge wave of water up the Intercoastal Waterway, over-topping the canal walls and scouring away the earthen levees.
Which of the following is not true with respect to the strongest aftershock during the 1811-1812 earthquakes?
The strongest aftershock caused the formation of the bluffs along the Missouri River near Council Bluffs, Iowa.
What contains the largest reservoir of carbon?
carbonate rock
Select the 3 ENGINEERING flood-control methods.
dams, levees, channelization
The gradual process of subsidence can result from all of the following activities except
digging open-pit mines to mine for coal
Select all the things that can occur BEFORE a catastrophic landslide.
extensional cracks near the top of a slope slumping of soils and sediments on a slope small landslides
On average, more people die from which type of natural disaster than any other?
flash floods and flooding
What aspect of tropical cyclones tends to cause the greatest death and destruction
flooding from rain, waves, and storm surge
The point along a fault where movement first occurs during an earthquake is called the earthquake's ______.
focus
Landslides associated with the 2010 Haiti earthquake were
found mostly on slopes steepened at their base by road construction.
When is a large event such as a major earthquake not a disaster?
when it happens in an area without any people
