All Science Stuff
_______________ clay is most involved with swelling soils.
smectite
Swelling soils are typically due to ____.
smectite clay increasing in volume as it absorbs water
Highly trained firefighters who parachute into remote areas of lightning-caused spot fires to exterminate them before they spread out of control are called _______________.
smokejumpers
The andesite volcanoes that form on the U.S. west coast below the Cascadia subduction zone are good examples of ____.
stratovolcanoes
A transform boundary would naturally produce ____ faults.
strike-slip
The Santa Ana winds are ____.
strong, dry winds arising from high pressure pushing air westward over southern California
When an oceanic plate collides with continental crust, a(n) _______________ zone is the most likely result.
subduction
When oceanic plates meet continental plates at a convergent boundary, a ____.
subduction zone will form because the oceanic plate is more dense than the continental plate
Tsunami from oceanic volcanoes are most likely to be caused by ____.
submarine volcanic explosions
In a metropolitan area, buildings of different heights are a danger to each other because ____.
tall buildings sway slower than lower buildings, allowing them to collide
_______________ slopes form as fan-shaped piles of rock fragments against the base of a cliff.
talus
The lithosphere comprises ____.
the crust and lithospheric mantle, which together form the tectonic plates that are more rigid than the underlying asthenospheric mantle
In developing countries, natural disasters are a greater risk for poor residents because ____.
they are often forced to live in hazardous areas due to economic factors
A(n) _______________ plate boundary is formed where two plates slide past each other horizontally side-by-side in opposite directions.
transform
A 6.0 Richter magnitude earthquake would be expected to produce the most property damage in a(n) ____.
transform fault zone
_______________ slides move on preexisting weak surfaces roughly parallel to the slope.
translational
Evidence of past tsunami can be seen in the _______________, a line across a mountainside separating taller and shorter trees.
trimline
A convective _______________ of heat draws in new air from all sides and fans flames.
updraft
Wegener's hypothesis that continents move apart ____.
was too flawed to result in an accepted theory
A primary advantage of wind energy is that it uses no _______________.
water
The two most abundant gasses in magmas are ____.
water vapor and carbon dioxide
A river slope or gradient adjusts to what three factors that it has no control over?
water velocity, grain size of sediment, and amount of sediment
Ash eruptions form their own volcanic _______________ as rising ash plumes heat and lift surrounding air.
weather
Land subsidence that results from petroleum mining ____.
will be avoided if the well hole is sealed and capped after use
Hotspots are ____.
zones of hot mantle material that convect heat up from the deep mantle in the form of a rising plume of hot, less-dense rock, which causes melting and volcanism as it approaches the Earth's surface
As the first wave of a tsunami retreats from the shore, bystanders should expect a second wave within approximately ____.
15 minutes
As of 2015, what is the approximate CO2 level in Earth's atmosphere?
400 ppm
Which best represents the thickness of Earth's atmosphere?
A piece of paper on a basketball
What creates caverns in limestone rock?
Acidic rainwater dissolves limestone rock, leaving empty caverns.
Which crop has benefited from global warming?
California walnuts
____ is/are NOT effective in earthquake prediction.
Changes in tide heights
Which statement about mitigation of climate change is FALSE?
Conservation is an expensive way to reduce carbon output used in power production.
A student was asked the question, "What are the major components of the Milankovitch cycle?" The student answered, "The important components of the Milankovitch cycle are variations in Earth's orbit from nearly circular to elliptical, changes in the tilt of Earth's axis of rotation, and variations in solar output due to sunspots." How would you rate this answer?
GOOD: The student's answer was incomplete by one component and included a component that was incorrect.
What do the vast majority of climatologists who have carefully examined the data agree on regarding human-induced global warming?
Human-induced global warming has begun and is increasing.
How does streambed mining affect a stream?
It increases erosion in the downstream channel.
Which is NOT an unintended consequence of building an artificial levee?
It protects towns from flooding for a time.
How does urbanization of the upstream drainage area for a floodplain affect the 100-year flood level?
It raises flood height.
Why does a stream bottom erode more deeply when its water level rises in a flood?
Its water level rises, so water velocity increases and it can carry more sediment.
What do rivers continually strive to do?
Minimize the energy they expend.
Which statement about the danger of volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest is most accurate?
Mt. Rainier poses a greater threat than other High Cascades volcanoes due to the large population living at its base.
Migrating earthquakes are a danger along the ____ Fault.
North Anatolian
What are oxbow lakes and how do they form?
Oxbow lakes are cut-off meanders, left behind as a flooding stream takes a shorter path downstream.
The distance to an earthquake is found by comparing the arrival time of ____ waves.
P and S
In which order would you expect different types of earthquake waves to arrive at a site a distance away from the epicenter?
P waves, then S waves, then surface waves
You would be at most risk of an earthquake due to a divergent boundary in which metropolitan area of the United States?
Salt Lake City, Utah
What is NOT a reason that a levee originally built to contain a 100-yr flood would be insufficient?
Sediment deposited by tributary streams degrades the levee.
Judge the following sentence: Even though water vapor has the greatest effect as a greenhouse gas, it is not normally discussed as one BECAUSE water vapor is completely natural and we have no control over it.
The assertion is correct and the reason is incorrect.
How would a hydrograph for a drainage basin change if major urban growth were to occur upstream?
The hydrograph would be higher and narrower.
Why are buried oil and gas pipelines vulnerable to damage during a flood?
The pipes rise with the rising water level, causing the pipes to break.
Why are flash floods more common in dry climates than wet climates?
The soil is less permeable.
Why do braided streams form in a dry climate instead of meandering streams?
The stream has too little water to carry the total sediment supplied.
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.
How does failure of an artificial levee differ from failure of a natural levee?
The water flows faster, and the areas next to the levee are commonly buried under sand and gravel.
The Cascadia fault in the Pacific Northwest is currently has ____.
a high chance of a catastrophic earthquake with a low chance of tsunamis
In a cold front, ____.
a more rapidly moving cold air mass collides with warm air, lifting it
The most important factor in creating a translational slide hazard is ____.
a pre-existing weak surface parallel to a slope
The key element in creating avalanche danger is ____.
a weak layer in the snowpack
The latent heat (heat of condensation) released by condensing liquid ____.
adds heat to moist air that rises
At the dew point, ____.
air is completely saturated with water vapor
Direct evidence of giant tsunami is found in ____.
alternating layers of peat, sand, and mud containing saltwater plants
The angle of repose of sand is ____.
always higher for damp sand
Warnings of volcanic mudflows ____.
are difficult to act on because they leave little time to evacuate
Landslides due to the melting of permafrost ____.
are shallow and only affect a few meters as the thawed layer slides off the remaining permafrost
If human-caused CO2 emissions were completely halted today, how long would it take for significant temperature drop to occur in the upper atmosphere?
at least one thousand years
A sinkhole is most likely to form ____.
at the end of a dry season
The damage due to swelling soils results in losses of ____ in the United States.
billions of dollars, primarily through damage to highways and streets,
Limestone consists of rock made from ____.
calcium carbonate
Pyroclastic flows ____.
can reach temperatures so hot that they glow
In a single year, which of the following is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide into Earth's atmosphere?
coal-fired power plants
What is/are the best material(s) for building a levee?
coarse gravel
Clays play a role in land subsidence by ____.
collapsing into compact layers when dried, increasing subsidence
Downbursts from a thunderstorm ____.
create high surface winds that extend in every direction from the center of the burst
A slope will slide if the ____.
driving force is greater than the resisting force
The uneven, potholed surface of karst is caused by ____.
erosion from ancient streambeds
Which type of dam is built to control downstream flooding?
flood-control dam
The caldera now filled by Crater Lake
formed as the top of the Mt. Mazama collapsed into the magma chamber after a major eruption
What are an example and an effect of a high-albedo surface?
glacial ice; keeps Earth cool
What keeps a stream flowing year-round, even though it may not rain for many months?
groundwater flow from the adjacent ground into the stream
Compared to other types of magma, basalt ____.
has lower viscosity and lower silica content
How does faster forward speed of a hurricane affect coastal areas?
higher-level surge and less rain
A rotational slump typically occurs in ____.
homogenous, cohesive material with no planar surface guide
A rotational slide is most likely to occur in ____.
homogenous, cohesive materials
Compared to the lithosphere, the asthenosphere is ____.
hotter and more plastic
Tsunamis cannot be caused by ____.
hurricanes
Paleoseismology ____.
improves prediction of earthquakes by extending knowledge before written records
How do debris flows tend to move?
in surges or waves, leading with coarse boulders
Which change is NOT expected as a result of global warming?
increase in the flow of the warm Gulf Stream toward Europe
The cost of natural disasters averaged over the previous ten years has ____ due in part to ____.
increased; population growth only
As a tsunami enters a bay or fjord, wave height ____.
increases because the wave is forced into a narrower space
The geological study of rocks around a previously active volcano ____.
is complicated by the effects of erosion
The town of Bend, Oregon ____.
is next to an active bulging beside one of the Three Sisters volcanoes
Which type of disaster is NOT commonly covered by insurance?
landslide
Approximately when did Earth's atmospheric temperature begin rising?
late 1700s
Water-rich sand or quick clay is likely to cause a ____.
lateral-spreading slide
What is NOT a way in which development affects floods?
logging decreases sediment loading
In terms of fatalities, the most dangerous natural disasters are caused by ____.
long-term weather patterns that cause drought
The predominant weather in the Pacific Northwest ____.
makes mudflows the most serious concern in eruptions
Which fire detection method is NOT currently in use?
manned forest towers
Moderate events can become unexpectedly larger disasters if ____.
more than one type of event occurs at the same time, amplifying the effect
The greatest hazard to someone in a wood-frame house during an earthquake is ____.
movement of the house off its foundation
Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust because ____.
oceanic crust is rich in iron- and magnesium-containing minerals, which are relatively dense, and has less silica, so it forms fewer low-density minerals
Hotspot volcanoes in an oceanic plate ____.
originate from deep peridotite, which rises as a plume of dry basalt
The magma that erupts from the divergent boundary of the Mid-Atlantic ridge produces ____.
peridotite shield volcanoes
The effects of land subsidence due to groundwater extraction are generally ____.
permanent and irreversible
The most dramatic global warming is occurring in which regions?
polar regions
Water pressure becomes an important factor in increasing landslide danger when ____.
pore spaces are filled with water
The threat of volcanic disaster from volcanoes in the Pacific Cascades is less than for Mount Vesuvius because ____.
proper land-use planning has designated the areas around them as national parks
Which source of information is NOT typically used by fire investigators in determining a fire's cause?
records of past fires in the area
The effect of aerosols can be best described as ____.
reflecting sunlight and cooling the atmosphere
What changes upstream from a site would NOT likely lead to a higher and shorter hydrograph?
reforestation for a Christmas tree farm
When a large flood first breaches a levee, what are the characteristics of the water crossing the breach?
relatively clear, highly eroding
Removal of vegetation from a slope increases landslide danger because vegetation ____.
removes water from the soil
Oceanic plates are ____.
rich in basalt, but poor in silicates
Which list is correctly ordered from the least rapid to the most rapid type of landslide?
rotational slump, debris flow, rockfall
All of the following diminish the reliability of recurrence intervals EXCEPT ____.
separating different meteorological conditions
What contains the largest reservoir of carbon?
shallow ocean
The frictional resistance depends on the ____.
slope angle and load only
The equilibrium of a slope is likely to be disturbed if the ____.
slope angle steepens or the load is increased
Soil creep is most likely to result from ____.
soil expansion and contraction
Levees are ____.
sometime intentionally breached during floods
Desertification is ____.
strongly linked to human activity
The largest earthquakes occur in ____.
subduction zones
In an adiabatic process, ____.
temperature always decreases
What is NOT a primary consideration in establishing fire risk for an area?
the amount of available firefighting resources
Which factor does NOT influence the hazard potential of a failing dam?
the amount of upstream erosion
A subduction zone provides an environment that affects the types of volcanoes that develop there because ____.
the magma will reach the surface more quickly
As a tsunami enters shallow water, ____.
the wave speed will decrease, and the height will increase
Stratovolcanoes have relatively steep sides because ____.
their magma has moderate viscosity so lavas flow a short distance before cooling
In order for limestone to collapse to form a major sinkhole, the ground above must be ____.
thick and rich in cohesive clay to allow a cavern to form
Rhyolite magma usually erupts in which form?
thick, slow lava flows
A translational slide would be most likely in ____.
thick, vegetated soil over bedrock
Which countries are at the highest risk for major earthquakes?
those in southern Europe
The San Andreas Fault marks a ____.
transform boundary
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2014 estimated that Earth's average surface temperature would likely rise by how much above pre-industrial levels by 2050?
two degrees Celsius
Where likely sources of debris flows are a short distance upstream and the channel gradient is high, ____.
warning time for a debris flow may be too short to allow for evacuation
There has been some success demonstrated in controlling lava flows by using ____.
water to harden the leading edge of the flow
Harmonic tremors are ____.
weak earthquakes that precede an eruption
Describe the carbon cycle
1) Carbon dioxide enter the atmosphere through respiration and combustion 2) Carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants to make carbohydrates through photosynthesis 3) Consumers feed on plants passing the carbon compounds along the food chain 4) Most of the carbon consumed is released as carbon dioxide in respiration 5)When organisms die they are eaten by decomposers and the remaining carbon is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide -In some conditions decomposition is blocked; the plant and animal material may then be available as fossil fuel in the future for combustion
A major tsunami forms somewhere in the Pacific about once every ____ years.
10
About when did glaciers on the highest mountains and in Greenland begin melting more rapidly?
1930
Approximately when did the rapid increase in human-produced atmospheric CO2 begin?
1980
The troposphere extends from the Earth up to about _______________ km.
20
What percentage of electrical power in the U.S. is generated from nuclear sources?
20 percent
Earth has experienced _______________ ice ages over the past two million years.
5
What percentage people who die in hurricanes drown because of river floods near the coast?
60%
What is the pH level of the oceans predicted to be by 2050?
7.95
In the deep ocean, tsunami waves will travel at speeds approaching ____ km/hr.
900
In addition to limestone, evaporites like ____ and ____ can create underground cavities.
?
Seismologists use what they have learned about where and when earthquakes occur to construct _______________ maps.
?
_______________ comes in many pale shades of color, is very silica rich, and produces very thick, stiff flows.
?
_______________ is black or brownish black, contains significant amounts of calcium and iron, and flows fluidly.
?
How can isotopes of oxygen be used as a proxy for past temperature data?
??
Recent increases in carbon dioxide levels are plotted on a graph called the _______________.
??
____ caused a major tsunami wave in Alaskan coastal fjords.
A massive rockfall at one end of the fjord
Warming of seawater tends to stress coral and promote _______________ as the symbiotic algae die off.
Bleaching
When a flood breaks through the walls of a levee, it is called a(n) _______________.
Breach
Some fires in Greece and Italy in 2007 were ignited by arsonists in protected areas to make room for _______________.
Buildings
_______________ use about half of all fuels in lighting, heating, cooling, and ventilation.
Buildings
In which state would you NOT expect to find karst?
California
A(n) _______________ is an indirect tax that strives to account for the actual societal costs of use of a fuel, including such indirect aspects as air and water pollution, health, and climate change.
Carbon tax
The Pacific Northwest is at high risk for earthquakes from the _______________ subduction zone.
Cascadia
The oxidation of nitrogen in the atmosphere during lightning storms generates _______________.
Charge
Small, explosive basalt volcanoes formed at continental rifts and the flanks of shield volcanoes are ____.
Cinder Cones
Why are skies clear in the eye of a hurricane?
Cold, dry air is descending.
Air masses and ocean currents develop circulation due to the Earth's rotation as a result of the __________________ effect.
Coriolis
Updrafts create tall ___________________ clouds, which form wide, flat tops at high altitude.
Cumulonimbus
What was the relationship between Earth's temperature and incoming solar radiation between 1998 and 2014?
Earth's temperature rose slowly during a period of weaker solar energy.
A(n) _______________ is a government-controlled mechanism to reduce emission of pollutants during energy generation by providing economic incentives and penalties.
Econlib
Warm shallow ocean temperatures in the equatorial western Pacific Ocean are characteristic of the ____.
El Niño
Where is the largest trading program for greenhouse gases, operating since 2005?
European union
A fire progresses more quickly downslope than upslope.
False
A natural system in equilibrium will never experience a natural disaster.
False
Active alluvial fans are always marked by meandering streams.
False
Building on the outside bend of a meander is the best location to reduce the possibility of bank erosion during a flood.
False
Convergent boundaries produce a relatively low number of earthquakes compared to other boundaries.
False
Decreasing SO2 pollution, which contributes to acid rain and respiratory diseases, will decrease the rate of global warming.
False
Earth's temperature rose slowly during a period of weaker solar energy.
False
Earthquakes always occur at plate boundaries.
False
Global warming is likely to decrease incidence of insect infestation in many areas.
False
Grain sizes increase downstream as slope decreases in a stream channel.
False
In the best-case scenario (strict mitigation), temperatures in the U.S. desert southwest are predicted to rise 5 degrees Celsius by late century.
False
Insurance covers all known types of natural hazards.
False
Lava flows present one of the most significant volcanic dangers to human life.
False
Long fault lines spread out stress and produce smaller earthquakes than short ones.
False
Mudflows move slowly enough that they present a danger to property but not to human life.
False
Natural gas was the largest fuel source in the United States in 2013.
False
Once ground fuels are cleared, radiant heat from nearby burning trees is very unlikely to ignite a home.
False
Researchers estimate that black carbon may account for about one-half of all global warming.
False
The U.S. average annual death rate caused by floods over a recent 10-year period exceeded 100.
False
The amount of solar radiation reaching the top of Earth's atmosphere changes in 30-year cycles.
False
The atmosphere was 25°C to 30°C cooler during the last ice age relative to modern times.
False
The cost of evacuations is large—roughly $5 million per coastal mile evacuated, exclusive of any damages from the hurricane.
False
The strongest hurricane ever measured was Hurricane Katrina, in 2005.
False
The theory of continental drift was developed using the theory of plate tectonics.
False
Tsunami generated by asteroid impact are common.
False
Tsunami wave motion drags on the bottom of shallow water, decreasing the wave height.
False
Volcanoes are only formed at plate boundaries, and cannot exist in the middle of large plates.
False
A hot rock deep in Earth may melt if it is subjected to an increase in pressure.
False
A small sea-level rise along a steep coast translates to a very large landward migration of the shoreline.
False
A steep slope will not collapse if the load is light.
False
As Earth's atmosphere warms, increased precipitation over the oceans will cause dry areas to become wetter.
False
Because freshwater is denser than seawater, seawater floats on top of freshwater.
False
Decreasing numbers of available food plants is the primary reason moose in northern climates are dying off in record numbers.
False
Dust storms are caused by natural conditions, which are not affected by human activity.
False
Earthquakes are too unpredictable for the time and location of previous earthquakes to help predict future earthquakes.
False
Hummocky landscapes and wavy roads are indications of landslides due to earthquakes only.
False
Monsoon rains in India form when high pressure over China pulls air southwestward over the peninsula.
False
Rainwater becomes acidic as it dissolves limestone.
False
Rotational slumps are most common when slope material is strongly bonded together and lies on top of a linear slope.
False
Sea-level rates of rise are more than double at cold regions compared with tropical latitudes.
False
Seismic gaps mark places where earthquakes are unlikely to occur
False
Shield volcanoes are characterized by steep slopes.
False
Sinkholes appear suddenly, and cannot be detected by precursor events.
False
Soils with a high smectite clay composition are at risk of land subsidence.
False
Swelling soils can lead to saltwater intrusion into groundwater.
False
The Cascadia Fault, located offshore of the U.S. West Coast, is the dominant earthquake fault in North America.
False
The USGS, projecting a moderate rate of climate change, predicted the disappearance of two-thirds of the world's polar bears by 2020.
False
The decline in the number of hurricane-related deaths since the 1920s is due to the decreasing frequency of hurricanes.
False
The magnitude of a natural disaster is directly proportional to the frequency of the event.
False
Thunderstorms form most commonly on the border of warm fronts.
False
Warmer oceans dissolve more CO2 than the cold water of the Arctic.
False
What are the three mechanisms by which fire ignites and progresses? Describe the mechanisms and how fire spreads.
Fire ignites through heat, and then continues to burn through this heat, along with oxygen and fuel. When something gets heated up, the radiant heat or embers can help spread the fire.
Burning embers are also called _______________.
Firebrands
Which type of event is a source of tsunami danger for the northeastern U.S.?
Flank collapse of a volcano in the Canary Islands.
An average of _______________ named hurricanes form annually in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
Four
What is fuel loading? What are examples of fuel loading, and what makes fuel combustible?
Fuel loading refers to the amount of burnable materials that can contribute to a forest fire, including dry foliage, trees, and sap. The fuel combusts because some of it is part cellulose, which is combustible and burns up easily.
How do greenhouse gases warm Earth's atmosphere?
Greenhouse gasses get trapped in the atmosphere, and when waves of heat go through the gasses and bounce off of the Earth, the greenhouse gasses do not allow the heat to escape, creating a warming effect as more gasses build up and more heat is trapped on the surface.
After a major rainstorm in a humid climate and with no overland flow to a stream, why does the stream level rise almost immediately?
Groundwater seeps down to raise the water table and forces older groundwater out into the stream.
Marine organisms preserve the current oxygen-isotope ratio in their _______________.
Habitats
The strength of a tsunami created by a landslide depends most heavily on the ____.
Height of fall of the landslide
Moisture that evaporates from the oceans returns after condensation, precipitation, and runoff in the __________________ cycle.
Hydrologic
Discuss the ways to mitigate global warming. Which do you think holds the most promise?
I think the way of mitigating global warming that will work the best is trying to put more things that the heat can absorb onto the earth and cutting back severely on fossil fuel use. While putting aerosols in the air may seem viable, there seem to be too many downsides to try that without trying anything else first.
The Teton Dam, in the state of _______________, failed June 5, 1976, took 11 lives, and caused more than $3.2 billion in damage.
Idaho
Hurricane _______________, which hit Galveston, Texas in 2008, was the third costliest storm in U.S. history, illustrating the damage a moderate hurricane can cause.
Ike
What are indefensible locations? Give an example of an area like this. If people choose to live in these areas, what do insurance companies require them to do to protect their homes from fire damage?
Indefensible locations are locations of homes or buildings that are especially vulnerable to wildfire. An example would be a narrow canyon that firefighters cannot access that is heavily forested. Insurance companies require that these people living in these locations clear the area near the building of any fuels and trees, and instal fireproof roofing.
Can the current increase in carbon dioxide level in Earth's atmosphere be attributable to natural variation and not human activity? Why or why not?
It cannot be attributed to natural variation because once the industrial revolution hit, measuring temperatures and ice levels now, warming has increased greatly. The rapid population increase has meant more energy is needed, more cars are used, and therefore, the carbon dioxide emission is much higher than it would have been had it increased normally.
Explain why some power companies charge more for energy use during high-demand time periods.
It causes people to use the power less, which means that the power companies do not have to go to the trouble of building another power plant.
How are efforts to mitigate global warming unfair to the developing world?
It is unfair because the countries that are making the efforts to mitigate have already had their chance to use these harmful fuels and develop to great amounts. The developing countries have not had the same chance to develop the way other countries have.
Exposure of limestone rock creates an uneven and potholed surface called _______________.
Karst
Any volcanic mud or debris flow is called a(n) _______________ by volcanologists.
Lahar
The greatest potential for earthquake damage in the near future for the continental United States is in ____.
Los Angeles, CA
You would be most at risk of danger due to tsunami effects in which metropolitan area of the United States?
Los Angeles, California.
Why are lower, smaller sand dunes less desirable than higher, larger sand dunes?
Lower dunes promote more erosion because there is not as much dune sand to absorb wave energy.
Which scenario is an example of a feedback effect?
Melting arctic ice generates warm water which melts more ice.
Which of the following is the best example of a positive feedback effect?
Melting ice exposes the dark surface of the ocean, which reflects less of the sun's energy than ice. This heats the water and in turn, melts more ice.
Which of the following positive feedback effects is NOT a result of Arctic thawing and glacial melting?
Melting permafrost leads to increased photosynthesis.
Which Italian city is dangerously located between two recently active volcanoes?
Naples
What effect can topography have on the spreading of a fire? What are the dangers of being upslope during a fire?
Near slopes, flames can travel quickly up hills because the heat from fires rises and can make flames and sparks rise with that heat, igniting the slopes above where the fire was burning. In addition, in canyons fire can spread quickly up slope due to the wind funneling effect.
What are nor'easters? Describe how nor'easters differ from hurricanes.
Nor'easters are hurricane-like storms that more commonly form in the northern hemisphere. They differ from hurricanes because they do not form full cyclones and they often bring with them heavy snow and blizzards.
____ faults do NOT typically cause tsunami waves.
Normal
The 10-m high Hope Mills Dam in _______________ failed twice, once in 2003 and once in 2010.
North Carolina
What are some examples of natural protections against hurricanes? What can people do to preserve these protections?
One example is coral reefs. They help protect the coast against wave by absorbing much of the impact of the waves deep underwater. People can protect these reefs by dealing with the pollution near coasts, and stopping the construction on beaches that tends to erode the reefs.
_______________ is soil containing frozen groundwater.
Permafrost
Why would coastal populations of poor countries be displaced more than wealthy nations when sea levels rise?
Poorer people tend to live in the areas near to muddy deltas and coastlines where they can find work and living is cheaper. Those with enough money to live somewhere a bit further away and safter often do end up living further away.
Explain why death tolls from hurricanes are much higher in poor countries.
Poverty, culture, and disastrous land use practices put poorer countries at a much higher risk for death. The cutting down of trees on slopes can lead to increased chances of landslides, and many move to coastal regions for better jobs only to get hit by devastating hurricanes. There is already little food to go around, so when a storm hits, many can starve.
When an eruption cloud spills downslope from the crater rim, it forms a(n) _______________ flow.
Pyroclastic
An important tool in identifying ancient earthquakes is the offset of _______________ layers.
Rock
The _______________ of a rockfall is the distance it will travel.
Runout
Which type of damage does NOT typically accompany a hurricane's storm surge?
Saltwater invades and contaminates groundwater.
The Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 occurred on which fault?
San Andreas
Los Angeles County is at risk of an earthquake along the ____ Fault.
San Jacinto
You would be at most risk of an intraplate earthquake in which metropolitan area of the United States?
Seattle, Washington
An area of a fault that has had significantly fewer earthquakes than the areas around it is known as a(n) _______________. (two words)
Seismic gap
Describe approaches to solar radiation management.
Some approaches could be increasing the albedo of the surface of the planet by adding some light material, or adding aerosols to the air would also work to manage solar radiation.
A(n) _______________ hangs from the ceiling of a cavern.
Stalactite
Rock deformation is referred to as ____.
Strain
Mudflows are a particular danger of ____.
Stratovolcanoes
____ waves have the largest amplitude of motion.
Surface
Judge the following sentence: Temperatures have risen faster in the oceans than on the continents BECAUSE the ocean has a greater heat capacity than land.
The assertion is incorrect but the reason is correct.
Of the main hazards in a hurricane, which causes the greatest dollar amount of damage? Why?
The thing that causes the most damage is the flooding from the storm surge and the inland river flooding because it can flood anything underground and cause immense damage. The height of the water and the amount of things the water damages makes it the most costly.
How does a bridge promote erosion in a channel?
The water velocity increases, due to restricted flow over the floodplain.
Why is storm damage of a westward-moving hurricane generally less on the south side of the eye?
The winds are moving offshore there, so there is no onshore surge or wave effects.
Which statement reflects the most significant reason people in the US decide to live in hazardous areas?
They have not experienced the effects of a natural hazard and therefore underestimate the risk.
How are tree rings used as proxy data to provide an indirect record of past climate conditions?
Tree rings are thicker and the wood is denser when growing conditions are better.
What is the expected outcome on regional precipitation as a result of global warming?
Tropical wet regions will get drier and mid-latitude dry regions will get wetter.
A dam built to store water for irrigation may lead to high reservoir levels behind the dam and too little remaining water storage in the reservoir to prevent downstream flooding during high rainfall or snowmelt.
True
A glacial outburst flood typically originates from a lake.
True
Airplanes may experience risks from volcanic eruptions that cannot be anticipated.
True
Based on a stringent mitigation scenario for future fossil fuel consumption, temperatures in the Arctic are expected to rise by at least 2°C, and under a minimal mitigation scenario would rise by about 5°C by mid-century.
True
Climate change is expected to increase the magnitude and frequency of many types of natural disasters.
True
Damage from debris flows can be limited through construction of walls to deflect flows to an undeveloped area.
True
Debris flows are most common in mountainous areas such as the U.S. southwest.
True
Developers and private individuals often oppose land-use restrictions that prevent use of hazardous areas.
True
Firebrands typically fly about 1 km, but can travel up to 20-30 km in extreme cases.
True
Glassy residue or elongated or straw-like groups of fused mineral grains (fulgurite) is evidence that a fire was caused by a lightning strike.
True
Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere both rotate and track in the same direction as the ocean currents.
True
In coastal subduction zones, the oceanic plate can rise suddenly, triggering a tsunami.
True
Incoming solar radiation is shortwave, while radiation outward from the Earth is long-wave.
True
Lahars carry volcanic material, making them different from mudflows of clay.
True
Major eruptions of volcanoes emit large amounts of CO2 and CH4, but their total contribution to atmospheric levels is small.
True
Negative radiative forcing refers to more outgoing than incoming radiation.
True
Non-greenhouse gases make up more than 99.9% of the dry atmosphere.
True
One of greatest threats from an explosion of Mount Rainier is mudflows in populated areas.
True
Past and future human actions influence the rate at which temperatures will rise in the future.
True
Patterns of earthquakes getting deeper beneath the edges of continents with volcanic arcs, and beneath island arcs in the ocean, were crucial in understanding subduction zones.
True
Stresses cause rocks to deform; earthquakes occur as the rock can no longer deform and ruptures.
True
The amount of water vapor in the clouds contributes to changing albedo.
True
The court has not upheld a law requiring forced or "mandatory" evacuation of one's residence due to safety concerns.
True
The effects of tsunami are amplified in bays and river mouths.
True
The hazard posed by a volcano depends on both the population nearby and the eruption product.
True
The plates involved in plate tectonics are part of Earth's lithosphere.
True
Tree-ring patterns from desert areas are not useful for climate studies because moisture is more determinative for tree growth than temperature.
True
Tsunami are caused by any large, rapid displacement of water.
True
U.S. taxpayers pay the cost of any loss under the federal flood insurance program.
True
Air in the eye of a hurricane is warmer than the surrounding air.
True
As Earth's atmosphere warms, populations in northern climates will likely experience more droughts and floods.
True
Basaltic magma generally produces non-explosive eruptions.
True
Changes in groundwater level are an effective predictor of earthquakes.
True
Changes in local ocean salinity due to melting glaciers could alter the path and strength of the Gulf Stream.
True
Extreme weather events such as torrential rainfall are expected to become more frequent with climate change.
True
Global climate change has increased the depth of permafrost thaw.
True
Landslides can be caused by adding soil moisture.
True
Low-pressure zones circulate counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.
True
Most hazardous volcanoes occur near subduction zones.
True
Most volcanic ash consists of curved shards of glass.
True
Photovoltaic solar panel farms perform better and produce electricity more cheaply than solar-thermal technology.
True
Snow and blizzard conditions are enhanced downwind from lakes.
True
The U.S. National Research Council believes global warming will cause sea level to rise between 0.3 and 1.2 m by 2100.
True
The consequences of climate change may include cooling in some areas.
True
The increase in energy demand in the U.S. is 1-2 percent per year, but in China it is 10 percent per year.
True
Water is a key factor in slope stability.
True
Wood frame houses are more likely to withstand earthquake damage than brick houses.
True
The word _______________ is a Japanese word meaning harbor wave.
Tsunami
After deposition, volcanic ash will form a rock called _______________.
Tuff
The term _______________ refers to how fluid magma is.
Viscosity
The level to which _______________ rises in a well is the location of the water table.
Water
The linear distance between two wave crests is the _______________ of the tsunami.
Wavelength
List some precautionary measures to take before evacuating because of a hurricane.
When a hurricane watch is announced, board up windows and reinforce garage doors. Store as much clean drinking water as possible. Fill up your car's gas tank. Tell a relative outside of the floodplain where you plan to go. Turn your fridge to the coldest setting, and unplug all electronics that could get damaged with a power surge. Take with you things that are important, such as important documents, food, water, blankets, etc.
Which construction material would make a house safest in a moderate earthquake?
Wood-frame construction sheathed with plywood.
Describe the best things to do if you are trapped by a fire. Where should you take shelter to protect yourself and why?
You should try to reach flat areas that have ponds or streams, or if the fire is close you should try to cover yourself with things like wet clothes that won't catch fire and lay in a ditch.
Which of the following would NOT be likely if global warming continues?
a general lowering of mean sea level
The growth of _______________ is a major problem in buildings that have been flooded.
mold
Lava flows ____.
move slowly enough that they are usually a threat only to property
Pyroclastic flows are dangerous because they ____.
move very fast, and extend a long distance
When ash combines with water, it can form _______________ with a consistency of wet concrete.
mud
An event which causes damage to life and property, but does not kill or injure large numbers of people or cause extensive property damage is called a(n) ____.
natural disaster
A ____ fault would be expected at a divergent boundary.
normal
Which side of a forest is at greater risk of wildfire in the northern U.S. and southern Canada?
northeast
In an earthquake, you are most likely to be injured from ____.
objects falling on you
When an oceanic plate sinks in a subduction zone where it converges with another oceanic plate, a volcanic arc arises ____.
on the oceanic side of the zone
Hurricane Sandy in 2012 was a Category _______________ storm.
one
Sunlight can react with pollutants generated by a wildfire to form _______________.
ozone
North Carolina's _______________ extends farther into the path of many Atlantic hurricanes than anywhere else on the East Coast.
peninsula
The time that it takes one complete wave to pass a fixed point is the _______________ of the wave.
period
Ninety-five percent of ____ output from the Gulf of Mexico, the largest domestic source, was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina.
petroleum
The movement of Earth's plates is described by "the theory of _______________".
plate tectonics
Local differences in sea level rise rates are associated with all of the following EXCEPT ____.
presence of barrier islands
A measure of the total incoming or outgoing radiant energy is called _______________.
radiation
The probability that a certain discharge or flow will be exceeded in any single year is equal to the inverse of the _______________.
recurrence interval
Monsoons in southern Asia are ____.
regular yearly variations between dry winter and wet summer weather
In a city, the best strategy for avoiding injury in an earthquake that arrives suddenly is to ____.
remain where you are and lie next to a heavy and sturdy object
Federal disaster assistance can be counterproductive because it ____.
repays losses due to natural disasters without providing an incentive to avoid future disasters
The angle of _______________ is the steepest angle at which a slope will remain stable.
repose
_______________ faults move rock above the fault up and over rock below with a steep fault surface incline.
reverse
When comparing the characteristics of common magmas or lavas, ____.
rhyolite has the lowest water content
The _______________ is the height that a tsunami reaches as it rushes onshore.
run-up
One future prospect for predicting hurricane behavior is to monitor thermal anomalies in the ocean with _______________ sensors.
satellite
The alternating stripes of magnetic field patterns are used to explain ____.
seafloor spreading
The three methods of heat transfer are conduction, radiation, and _______________.
convection
Thunderstorms form when ____.
cool, dry air descends into warm, moist air
A(n) _______________ fire can form once fire reaches treetops in a densely-packed forest.
crown
__________________ is a prolonged dry climatic event that dramatically lowers the available water below normal levels.
drought
Which roofing design is the most hurricane-resistant?
flat, concrete tile
The national flood insurance program formally separates the flood plain into the floodway and the _______________.
flood fringe
Small earthquakes that precede a large earthquake are referred to as _______________.
foreshocks
The process of producing natural gas from underground shale is called _______________.
fracking
The jet stream is ____.
generally marked by fronts and storms
Subduction zones ____.
generate Earth's largest earthquakes
Wegener used ____.
geographic and geological information to form the theory of continental drift
All of the following reduce the danger posed by lightning EXCEPT ____.
go to the center of an open field if outside
A natural process characterized by a(n) _______________ effect will change in a way that causes a rapid increase in the rate of subsequent change.
growing
The most significant information for predicting high earthquake probability is that a segment of the fault ____.
has had very few significant earthquakes in the recorded past
A ship at sea will not generally notice the passage of a tsunami wave because they ____ in the deep ocean.
have long periods and small wave heights
A natural process which threatens life and property is known as a natural _______________.
hazard
The most important factor for reducing the damage of natural hazards is changing ____.
human behavior
Soils impervious to water are known as _______________ soils.
hydrophobic
If you are alerted that a tsunami is approaching, your first reaction should be to ____.
immediately head for a location as high above sea level as possible
According to analysis of air in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores, global temperature has ____.
increased and decreased in cycles over the past 400,000 years
Thawing permafrost _______________.
increases climate change dangers by injecting warm water into the Arctic Ocean
Which is NOT a proposed geoengineering solution to mitigate climate change?
increasing the storage of carbon in the lower atmosphere
A series of arson fires after Hurricane Katrina led authorities to suspect that people were setting fire to their flood-damaged homes in order to receive _______________ benefits.
insurance
Which is NOT a common method of levee failure?
interweaving
A glacial outburst flood is also called a(n) _______________.
jokulhlaup
Land subsidence increases the hazard of ____.
landslides
Coastal building standards for the NFIP require that all new construction be _______________ of mean high tide.
landward
What condition does NOT contribute to more fire-prone forests?
larger trees
Basaltic magma eruptions usually take which form?
lava flows
An ice storm can form when a ____.
layer of cold air lies under a layer of warm, moist air
The relationship between frequency and magnitude predicts that ____.
less frequent events have a larger magnitude
A previously undiscovered fault may be detected in a ____ event.
liquefaction
The _______________ includes the crust and portions of the upper mantle.
lithosphere
Which is NOT an impact of global warming on humans?
longer snowpack runoff times
The adiabatic lapse rate for moist air is ____.
lower than for dry air due to latent heat released during condensation
Insurance companies evaluate the _______________ of an event by assessing its recurrence interval and expected costs.
magnitude
Public education plays an important role in reducing the effect of disasters by ____.
making the public aware of dangers they may not understand fully
The asthenosphere is part of the layer of Earth's interior called the _______________.
mantle
In San Francisco, earthquake hazard is increased for bridges and highways because ____.
many are built on soft mud and clays
A stream that sweeps from side to side in wide turns is called a(n) _______________ stream.
meandering
Which factors contribute to sea-level rise from global warming?
melting land ice and heating and expansion of sea water
________________ added to the atmosphere since 1750 is the largest contributor to change in radiative forcing.
methane
In addition to carbon dioxide, _______________ and _______________ have risen above their pre-industrial levels in Earth's atmosphere.
methane, black carbon
A fire deliberately set close to an advancing fire to create a firebreak by using the updraft of the wildfire to draw the fire toward the main fire is called a(n) _______________.
back burn
Which type(s) of magma result in erupted material that is mostly in the form of ash?
basalt only
Which of the following plants or animals have benefitted from global warming?
black spruce
A stream that is overloaded with sediment and forms broad, multichannel paths is called a(n) _______________ stream.
braided
Modifying existing structures, or _______________, can reduce earthquake damage.
buildings
Fires that burn ahead of the main fire are known as _______________ fires.
burnout
Which country would lose 17% of its land if the sea level were to rise by one meter?
Bangladesh
Which was the most disastrous dam failure in recent decades?
Banqiao Dam in China
A caldera is formed ____.
by the collapse of a magma chamber
You would expect the most severe weather effects at the border of a ____ front.
cold
Rock layers that are very susceptible to brittle failure would be expected to produce ____.
an earthquake without foreshocks or aftershocks
A serious consequence of sea-level rise is contamination of _______________ by salt water.
Aquifers
Volcanic eruptions are likely to be more explosive for magmas that have ____.
any viscosity with a high amount of volatiles
Historical records of volcanic eruptions ____.
are effective in identifying areas at risk for volcanic dangers
Plate boundaries ____.
are either convergent (where two plates come together), divergent (where two plates spread apart), or transform (where two plates move side by side in parallel, yet opposite, directions)
Stream discharge is calculated by multiplying the water's average velocity by the _______________ of the stream.
area
Greenhouse gases include all of the following except ____.
argon
If a 100-year floodplain was flooded in 2003, when should we expect the next 100-year flood?
at any time
The __________________ lapse rate describes the rate of cooling of an air mass as it rises.
Adiabatic
Different surfaces reflect more or less sunlight, a property called _______________.
Albedo
Which of the following is NOT a layer of Earth's atmosphere?
Allosphere
The term _______________ refers to a surface marked by rubble and a clinker, and results from a Hawaiian basaltic lava flow.
aa
Which is NOT a consequence of permafrost thawing?
absorption of methane gas
Tsunami detection networks are ____.
accurate at predicting the arrival of a distant tsunami, but rarely provide sufficient warning of tsunami generated by a nearby earthquake
A small event that typically occurs before a major event is called a(n) _______________ event.
adverse
Climate change is expected to cause an increase in the impact of ____.
all natural disasters except seismic events (earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis)
Deliberate deforestation by fire has occurred in Indonesia, where forests are burned to clear space for growing _______________.
commercial crops
In an earthquake, reinforced concrete ____.
can crumble and fail if it is not sheathed in steel
The most dangerous poisonous gas(ses) associated with volcanic activity ____.
can mix with moisture to make dangerous aerosols
If the recurrence interval of an event is 50 years, recurring events ____.
can occur anytime, but are likely to occur within 50 years
The volume of sediment a stream can carry is known as its _______________.
capacity
Capturing carbon at its source for storage underground is known as _______________.
carbon sequestration
CO2 reacts with water to form _______________, which makes the ocean more acidic.
carbonic acid
The _______________ Range is an area of particularly dangerous volcanoes in the United States.
cascadia
A(n) _______________ is a natural event that leads to significant loss of life and extensive property damage.
catastrophe
Earth's magnetic field ____.
changes polarity due to motions in Earth's core, while plate motion remains relatively stable
Most of the energy in China, India, and many other developing countries is produced using _______________ as a fuel.
coal
Traditional nuclear and _______________ power plants have very high decommissioning costs.
coal
_______________ is an important force holding soil grains together through static attraction, surface tension, or chemical bonds.
cohesion
Fluidization would be a hazard in a(n) ____.
debris flow
Shortages of freshwater in some locations are caused by all of the following EXCEPT ____.
decreased amount of freshwater evaporating from oceans and falling on land
Earthquake motion occurs due to rock ____.
deformation
_______________ refers to the change in rock shape due to stress.
elastic rebound
The map point directly above an earthquake's focus is called the _______________.
epicenter
Scientific forecasts of catastrophic earthquakes can ____.
estimate the probability of the event happening somewhere in a large geographical area within a time frame of decades
The theory of plate tectonics combines ____.
evidence of continental drift, evidence of seafloor spreading, and evidence of tectonic plates moving as measured for the past by magnetism in rocks and in the present by tracking continental motions with geographic positioning systems
Normal faults are most common near subduction zones.
false
Transform boundaries are most closely associated with reverse thrust faults.
false
