nat hazards
Mantle
"Rocky" Silicate layer Fe + Mg Rich silicates (dense)
During an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6 on the Richter scale, the shaking lasts about ______. a. 10 -15 seconds b. 1 -2 seconds c. 120 seconds or longer d. 2 -3 seconds e. 60 seconds or longer
10-15 sec
Richter scale
1920s Using a wood-Anderson torsion seismometer Archaic Only worked on San Andreas fault
Rigid mantle density
3,300kg/m3
Thickness of continental crust
30-70 km
thickness of oceanic crust
5-10km
disaster
Actual realization of a hazard
Intensity
Amount of damage at one specific location
Fault planes are
At an angle consistent with compression experiments
Two earth layering schemes
Based on composition and reological/mechanical/physical
Why is magnitude inversely related to frequency
Because that have to release energy and frequent events can only have a small amount of energy stored
Earth has what topography
Bimodal, two peaks on histogram
Isotacy
Buoyancy drives elevation of lithosphere above asthenosphere
Composition scheme
Chemical layers Core and mantle and crust
Choose the correct order of earthquakes ranked from greatest energy released to least energy released. a. San Francisco (1906) - Long Island (1884) - Chile (1960) b. Chile (1960) - Long Island (1884) - Alaska (1964) c. Alaska (1964) - San Francisco (1906) - Chile (1960) d. Alaska (1964) - Long Island (1884) - San Francisco (1906) e. Chile (1960) - San Francisco (1906) - Long Island (1884)
Chile (1960) - San Francisco (1906) - Long Island (1884)
Which subduction zone earthquake was the largest to occur since the 1700s? a. Kamchatka, 1952 b. Chile, 1960 c. Equador, 1906 d. Tohoku, Japan, 2011 e. Arica, Chile, 1868
Chile, 1960
What regions of the us are most at risk
Coasts, Midwest, southeast
magnitude
Communication Of energy released, only one m per earthquake, ground shaking factor
Convergent stress and fault type
Compression and reverse
Divergent Continental plate
Creates new ocean basin and causes rifting
prediction
Don't need a timeline
How are tectonic boundaries revealed
Earthquake data of epicenters
Brittle
Earthquakes, happens after high stress, even when stress decreases strain increases
When a natural process poses a threat to human life or property, we call it a natural disaster.
False
reverse faul
Hanging wall moves above foot wall
Rheology
How materials behave under stress
strain
How materials respond to stress, unitless
Earthquake faults and nuclear reactors have been problematic in California, as evidenced by the ______ plant, which was shut down for modifications in 1976, but was found to be too expensive and too difficult to restart. Humboldt Bay San Onofre San Luis Obispo
Humboldt bay
Basalt
Igneous rock from eruptions
Deep earthquakes
In ring of fire (not on tectonic plate boundaries) 100 to 600 km
Why is natural disaster cost increasing
Inc global population Inc prop value More people in Urbanand coastal areas
When magnitude increases amplitude
Inc ten fold
Oceanic crust
Less buoyant Basalt
Shallowtype earthquakes
Less than 100 km
Tectonic plates are parts of what
Lithosphere
Moment mag vs fault plane area
Log scale gives linear slope, proportional
Richter scale steps
Measure amp of largest peak Determine p and s wave Mark values of scales and connect with lines
Mor
Mid oceanic ridges
Continental crust
More buoyant Granite
More data from past means
More confidence in forecast
forecast
More useful for planning and requires a timeline
core
Mostly Fe ~90% ~1/2 of earths radius
Plastic
Not reversible middle stress
What kinds of lithosphere
Oceanic and continental
Subduction
Oceanic plates with rel thin dense crust can and will eventually become neg buoyant and sink, can't be done by continental plates
Lithsophere
Outermost portion of earth that is relatively cool and rigid Includes all of crust and part of mantle
Which geographic area is correctly matched with its typical hazard? a. Maine - drought b. California - tornadoes c. Kansas - hurricanes d. Southwest - sinkholes e. Pacific Northwest - volcanoes
Pacific Northwest - volcanoes
Asthenosphere
Portion of earths mantle hot enough to allow slow convection
How insurance policies decide cost of nat hazard policies
Product of prob to an event and cost of the prob lost
Benioff Zone
Region of dipping seismicity and shows subduction zones
Elastic
Reversible, low stress
Silicate
Rich in silicon and oxygen
Transform stress type and fault type
Sheer and strike-slip
rheological layers
Solid inner core Liquid outer core Asthenosphere Lithosphere
Core States
Solid inner core and liquid outer core
Old oceanic plates are destroyed where
Subduction zones
recurrence interval
T=(N+1)/m where N is years in record
For events exceeding a threshold
T=N/n where n is number of events
Divergent stress and fault type
Tension and normal
What differentiates each lithosphere
The crust
Crust
Thin, low density Silicate layer (less dense) (higher Si and O)
Stress
Units of pressure
Intensity
Uses mercalli intensity scale, use Roman numbers 1-12
Granite
Volcanic rock from magma
Divergent oceanic plates
When pulled apart magma comes out and new oceanic crust is formed creating a new oceanic plate
Can you have two 100 year floods back to back
Yes but 1%x1%
Hotspot volcanoes are anchored in the _____. a. mantle b. subduction zones c. core d. lithosphere e. crust
a
Which component of the mantle makes up most of the volume of Earth? a. peridotite b. magma c. basalt d. nickel e. silica
a
Which type of rock comprises most of the ocean floor? a. basalt b. rhyolite c. magnetite d. silica e. granite
a
actuary
a person who compiles and analyzes statistics and uses them to calculate insurance risks and premiums.
Tectonic plates move away from each other at _____ boundaries.
a. Divergent
If the price of gasoline increases, which consequence is least likely to occur? a. fewer miles driven by motorists b. acceleration of climate change c. decrease in greenhouse gases d. increased use of public transportation e. increased demand for fuel efficient vehicles
acceleration of climate change
The dramatic increase in the average annual cost of natural hazards over the last several decades is partly due to ____. a. many disasters occurring in remote locations b. most disasters occurring in poor countries c. construction of shoddier structures d. most disasters occurring in wealthy countries e. an increase in the world's population
an increase in the world's population
When dealing with natural catastrophic events, it is important to remember that _____. a. attempts to control natural processes may just divert the threat elsewhere b. science will provide more permanent solutions to natural disasters in the future c. cataclysmic events are likely to be short-lived d. technology is making important strides in controlling natural systems e. natural catastrophic processes are subject to human intervention
attempts to control natural processes may just divert the threat elsewhere
An example of a "hard" mitigation strategy might be ____. a. land-use planning b. improving building codes c. building a levee d. requiring building permits e. prohibiting construction in a certain area
building a levee
Mountain ranges do not sit on Earth's surface, but instead have a structure like a(n) _____. a. volcano b. tectonic plate c. iceberg d. rift valley e. glacier
c
The elevation difference between the continental and oceanic crusts is explained by the concept of _____. a. viscosity b. topography c. buoyancy d. velocity e. specific gravity
c
The East African Rift zone was created by _____, and may be the early stage of a future ocean. a. subduction of an oceanic plate b. continental spreading c. mid-oceanic rift zones d. subduction of a lithospheric plate e. converging continental plates
continental spreading
Lithosphere is not equivalent to
crust
The High Cascades volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest, which lie inland from an oceanic trench, formed from _____. a. continental collision b. transform faults c. transform boundaries d. an active subduction zone e. an active divergent plate boundary
d
the Basin and Range of Nevada, Utah, and adjacent areas is an example of faults associated with _____ boundaries. a. lithospheric b. convergent c. seismic d. divergent e. transform
divergent
Types of tectonic boundaries
divergent, convergent, transform
What is the correct order of Earth's layers, from the center to the surface? a. mantle, lithosphere, and core b. lithosphere, core, and mantle c. crust, mantle, and core d. mantle, lithosphere, and core e. core, mantle, and crust
e
The occurrence of _____ is directly related to the occurrence of _____. a. tornadoes; volcanoes b. earthquakes; hurricanes c. earthquakes; tsunami d. earthquakes; tornadoes e. tornadoes; tsunami
earthquakes; tsunami
Research teams who examined the fault after the 2015 earthquake discerned a long, uninterrupted fault to the _____ of the recent earthquake, indicating the potential for a large earthquake in Bhutan. west southwest east
east
Rocks deform _____ under low stress. a. with compression b. elastically c. by liquefying d. plastically e. with brittle failure
elastically
The point on the map above the location where a fault slips and causes an earthquake is called the _____. a. seismic center b. origin of body waves c. focus d. wave center e. epicenter
epicenter
A forecast of a natural catastrophe is usually about 90 percent accurate.
false
A seismogram is a device that records the shaking of earthquake waves.
false
A slice into Earth shows the core at the center and the mantle on the surface.
false
Alfred Wegener was the first person to theorize that the continents were once connected in the geologic past.
false
An earthquake strike along a fault affects all parts of the fault and causes seismic damage throughout.
false
An example of a subduction-zone fault in the United States is the Wasatch Front, the eastern face of the Wasatch Range of central Utah.
false
Learning to live with nature requires using technology to control natural systems.
false
Lithospheric plates that move away from each other are called convergent plate boundaries.
false
One particularly widespread natural hazard is the presence of tornadoes in California.
false
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encourages victims of landslides and floods to rebuild in their original location because a future disaster is statistically unlikely to happen there again.
false
The Mercalli Intensity scale is based on the maximum amplitude of earthquake waves measured on a seismograph of a specific type, the Wood-Anderson seismograph.
false
The basalt lava flows that cover the entire ocean floor are caused by the movement of convergent boundaries.
false
The degree of shaking in an earthquake is unrelated to the distance from the epicenter.
false
The first event of an earthquake is the arrival of R waves, the primary or compressional waves, which come as a sudden jolt.
false
The liquid inner core of Earth is surrounded by a solid outer core.
false
The term strain refers to the forces imposed on a rock.
false
There is a direct, positive relationship between magnitude and frequency of catastrophic events
false
There is a strong relationship between weather and earthquakes, but a weaker interaction between weather and flooding.
false
When two plates collide, the subduction plate slides over the top of the other, denser, plate.
false
The term _____ refers to natural processes that accelerate change in other natural systems. a. feedback effect b. precursor event c. tipping point d. inverse relationship e. negative loop
feedback effect
Acceleration in an earthquake is measured in terms of _____. a. speed b. gravity c. weight d. distance e. oscillation
gravity
Which natural event causes the most fatalities in the United States? a. heat and drought b. earthquakes c. landslides d. hurricanes e. tornadoes
heat & drought
The conflict concerning the Diablo Canyon reactors stems from the 2008 discovery of the Shoreline fault, which snakes offshore about 650 yards from the reactors. A larger crack, the __________ fault, had been discovered in the 1970s about 3 miles away, after the plant's construction permits had been issued and work was underway. Surveys have mapped a network of other faults north and south of the reactors. a. Los Osos b. San Onofre c. Hosgri d. Diablo
hosgri
In Hawaii, the Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes are part of a chain of extinct volcanoes, which created a track of volcanic activity. These volcanoes are therefore examples of _____. a. rifts b. transform boundaries c. hotspot volcanoes d. divergent boundaries e. convergent boundaries
hotspot volcanoes
What type of earthquake is most likely to be associated with the eastern United States? a. intraplate b. divergent boundary c. seafloor spreading d. interplate e. transform boundary
intraplate
The magnitude of a catastrophic event is _____ proportional to its frequency. a. negatively b. positively c. slightly d. not e. inversely
inversely
The combination of soft sediments with loosely packed grains and high groundwater levels is significantly likely to cause _____ during earthquakes. a. tsunamis b. landslides c. erosion d. liquefaction e. dam failure
liquefaction
Building a levee to protect an area from flood is an example of _____. a. mitigation b. behavioral change c. creating insurance d. assessing risk e. controlling nature
mitigation
A measure of the total energy expended during an earthquake is called the _____. a. surface energy b. moment magnitude c. seismogram d. seismograph e. amplitude
moment magnitude
Climate scientists say the increased wildfires in California are related to global warming because _____. a. El Niño exacerbated weather patterns in 2014 b. more storms cause more lightning strikes c. more heat causes more evaporation d. El Niña exacerbated weather patterns in 2014
more heat causes more evaporation
A _____ chart uses the distance from the earthquake (P - S time in seconds) and the S-wave amplitude (in mm) to estimate the earthquake magnitude. a. seismogram b. seismograph c. nomograph d. linear e. logarithmic
nomograph
The amount of movement on a fault, or _____, is related to the size of an earthquake. a. shear b. compression c. rupture d. creep e. offset
offset
The first waves to arrive during an earthquake are the _____ waves. a. P b. surface c. S d. Rayleigh e. body
p
A statistical forecast of catastrophic event is based on _____. a. ice core measurements b. solid scientific evidence c. past history d. seismology e. short term experience
past history
Once a disaster has already occurred, the financial impact to victims can be mitigated by _____. a. state compensation b. local endowments c. risk analysis d. FEMA compensation e. purchase of insurance
purchase of insurance
Viscosity
resistance to flow Temp dependent Depends on Composition
What type of fault moves rocks on the upper side of a steeply inclined fault up and over those below? a. reverse b. blind c. slip-strike d. normal e. thrust
reverse
Most of the magmas that erupt in continental rift zones are _____. a. rhyolite and granite b. rhyolite only c. silica or basalt d. basalt only e. rhyolite or basalt
rhyolite or basalt
A hazard considered in the light of its recurrence interval and expected costs is known as _____. a. insurance b. assessment c. land use planning d. natural hazard mitigation e. risk
risk
The important discovery and confirmation of _____ made the hypothesis of continental drift feasible. a. glaciers that could plow through the ocean floor b. the presence of transform boundaries in the ocean c. seafloor spreading d. subduction of oceanic plates e. converging plate boundaries in the ocean
seafloor spreading
What type of activity drives plate motion? a. transform fault boundaries b. collisions of lithospheric plates c. seafloor spreading d. collision of oceanic plates with lithospheric plates e. hotspots
seafloor spreading
One important indicator of its severity of California's drought was when state scientists measured the ___ in the spring of 2015 and found that it was at 5 percent of normal, the lowest ever recorded. annual rainfall Sierra snowpack humidity
sierra snowpack
If there is a long uninterrupted segment of a fault, we can expect that fault to ultimately produce a _____ temblor(s). a. series of b. stronger c. weaker d. more long-lasting
stronger
When two oceanic lithospheric plates collide, the result is usually _____. a. subduction b. seafloor spreading c. a transform fault boundary d. a rift e. crumpling of the lithosphere
subduction
What type of earthquake wave typically causes the most damage to buildings? a. S b. Rayleigh c. body d. surface e. P
surface
What evidence prompted Dutch mapmaker Abraham Ortelius to suggest in 1596 that Africa and South America were once connected and had since moved apart? a. the similarity of rock composition b. the similarity of the shapes of the coastlines c. fossil evidence d. the similarity of plant life e. continuation of mountain ranges
the similarity of the shapes of the coastlines
A contingency is a past event that influences a future event, such as when a sudden fault movement causes an earthquake, which, in turn, causes an earthquake in another area.
true
A natural catastrophe can be defined as a natural event that kills or injures large numbers of people or causes extensive property damage.
true
Although large earthquakes are more frequent in the West, the few large ones that have occurred in eastern North America have been much more damaging because Earth's crust in the East transmits earthquake waves more efficiently.
true
An increase in magnitude above 6 does not cause much stronger shaking; rather, it increases the area and total time of shaking.
true
Earthquakes are associated with convergent boundaries.
true
Earthquakes can cause liquefaction, in which soils that ordinarily seem perfectly stable become almost liquid when shaken.
true
Faults are simply breaks in Earth's crust along which rocks on one side of the break move past those on the other side of the break.
true
Flooding is the second most deadly natural hazard in the United States.
true
Following the Fukushima Dai-ichi meltdown after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in 2011, the NRC directed U.S. nuclear plants to reevaluate seismic risks, and those studies were due by March 2015.
true
Hypotheses that are confirmed by multiple sources of data over a long period of time become theories that can be used to predict other events
true
In Guatemala and Nicaragua, peasants who work for giant corporate farms must provide their own shelter on steep, landslide-prone hillsides.
true
Lithospheric plates move at rates up to 8 cm (3.2 in.) per year.
true
Mitigation involves efforts to prepare for — and reduce the damage from — a disaster, such as building levees.
true
Moment magnitude, MW, is essentially a measure of the total energy expended during an earthquake.
true
Mountains actually have "roots" that go deep into Earth's crust.
true
One reason it is difficult to predict most natural events is because we do not generally know what changes are occurring at depth.
true
Rocks that deform plastically permanently change shape or flow when forces are applied.
true
Seafloor spreading is the driving force behind plate movement.
true
Surface waves of an earthquake generally involve the greatest ground motion, so they cause a large proportion of all earthquake damage.
true
The 1960 earthquake in Chile released more energy than the 1906 earthquake in California.
true
The Atlantic Ocean formed as the result of continental spreading.
true
The Snake River Plain in Idaho is an example of a continental hotspot track.
true
The feedback effect is illustrated by rapid melting of Arctic sea ice due to global warming, which leaves darker sea water to absorb more of the Sun's energy, and in turn, causes even more sea ice melting.
true
The most famous example of a transform fault in the United States is the San Andreas Fault.
true
The similarity of fossils on different continents across the Atlantic Ocean is evidence that these continents were once connected.
true
Two lithospheric plates that slide past each other, such as at the San Andreas Fault, are called a transform boundary.
true
Vegetation in California is as dry as kindling from the worst drought in the state's recorded history, which causes fire to catch more easily, spread faster, and get carried farther on the wind.
true
While it is impossible to predict all natural disasters, we can anticipate that problems caused by humans, such as global warming, will increase the chance that a disaster will strike.
true
The probability that a second severe event will occur is _____ to the length of time that has elapsed since a prior major event. a. unrelated b. inversely proportional c. positively related d. exponentially proportional e. negatively related
unrelated
In terms of fatalities in the United States, which hazard poses the least risk? a. floods b. volcanoes c. hurricanes d. earthquakes e. landslides
volcanoes