Hazards Chapter 1 Assessment

Which of the following factors is used to calculate risk of a natural hazard?

.Probability of event happening B.Amount of property damage expected C.Number of deaths possible D.Amount of damage to roads and bridges E.All of the above factors are used to calculate risk. <-----------

Which statement best compares natural hazards with natural disasters?

A Natural disaster has caused a significant amount of death and destruction to an area whereas a natural hazard has the potential to cause death and destruction.

Why it is necessary for scientists to study natural hazards?

A.A study of natural hazards can tell us where different hazards are possible. B.A study of natural hazards can tell us what effects to expect from a hazard. C.A study of natural hazards can tell us what effects we may have on the frequency of a hazard. D.A study of natural hazards may give us more time to make predictions and warnings. E.All of the above are reasons why scientists study natural hazards. <-----

What does the impact of natural hazards depend on?

A.Climate B.Magnitude of the event C.Frequency of the event D.Land use E.All of the above affect the impact of natural hazards. <-----

Which of the following is something geologists look for in understanding the history of natural disasters in an area?

A.Landforms B.Faults in rock C.Lava flows D.Organic material in flood deposits E.All of the above <--------

Which of the following is an anticipatory response to earthquakes in San Francisco?

A.Monitoring along the San Andreas and other fault lines B.Earthquake drills conducted in schools C.Retrofitting older buildings that don't meet earthquake codes D.Providing a fund for insurance for victims of the possible earthquake E.All of the above are anticipatory responses to earthquakes. <------------

Why would urbanizing a location increase that location's potential for catastrophe?

A.People might be forced to live in low lying or unstable lands susceptible to landslides or floods. B.Urbanization can interfere with the drainage of the land making it more likely to flood, landslide, or subside. C.Native plants can be removed, increasing erosion of land. D.Higher population density would cause damage to increase. E.All of the above are reasons why urbanization might increase catastrophes.<---

Which of the following areas of the United States is NOT at risk for any natural disaster?

All areas of the United States are at risk for some kind of natural disaster.

Which of the following is NOT a reactive response to Hurricane Katrina?

Avoid rebuilding in the areas of New Orleans that are below sea level

Which of the following locations is NOT at risk for hurricanes?

California

How do igneous rocks form?

Crystallization of magma

Which of the following is NOT an anticipatory response to the problem of flooding?

Delivering food and clothing to the most hard-hit areas

A careful understanding of the hydrologic cycle indicates that drought is a misconception and that there is always available drinking water.

False

An area that has been hit by a natural disaster is usually not likely to have another one in the future.

False

Any kind of natural hazard can occur in any place at any time.

False

Fortunately, global warming is expected to have little impact on natural disasters and natural hazards.

False

Natural hazards in the U.S. only occur in the San Francisco area of California.

False

One of the problems with forecasting natural disasters is that hazardous processes always occur without warning.

False

Something that is an acceptable risk to one person is also acceptable to everyone else.

False

Which of the following hazards has the greatest potential for catastrophe?

Flood

Which of the following statements best explains why events that have caused disasters in the past are now causing catastrophes?

Human population growth has caused a greater concentration of population in certain areas and puts a greater demand on earth's resources.

Which of the following is NOT part of the tectonic cycle?

Hurricanes

Which of the following describes the trend in the worldwide number of natural disasters over the past 50 years or so?

It has been increasing steadily.

Which of the following is NOT one of the geologic cycles?

Krebs cycle

Why do lightning strikes have a low potential for catastrophe?

Lightning doesn't usually affect people and property on a large scale.

During the last century, the global temperature trend has increased, causing scientists to hypothesize about continued global warming. Which of the following is NOT an impact this might have on natural hazards?

Magma will rise, causing more volcanoes.

Which of the following statements is FALSE about the concept of uniformitarianism as related to natural disasters?

Natural disasters are a natural part of the Earth, humans can do nothing that will affect them.

Which of the following statements is FALSE about benefits of natural hazards?

Natural hazards are never beneficial and always cause disaster.

Which of the following statements is FALSE about the scientific method?

One of the failures of the scientific method is when a hypothesis is disproved and has to be rejected.

Which statement is FALSE about world population?

Over the next 20 to 30 years, world population is expected to continue to increase with most of the population increase from wealthy nations and little population increase from poor nations due to their higher death rate.

Why is the rock cycle considered a "cycle"?

Rock material is constantly being recycled into different forms or back to magma.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti caused an extraordinarily high number of deaths, perhaps over 250,000, for a magnitude 7 earthquake. Which factor did NOT play a role as to why there so many deaths?

Shallow sloping coastline allowed tsunami to surge far inland.

Where do the forces for most external processes on the Earth come from?

The sun

Which of the following constitutes a prediction rather than a forecast for a natural event?

The tsunami from today's massive earthquake near Alaska will arrive in Hilo, Hawaii at 2 PM.

Which of the following hazards causes the greatest number of deaths per year in the United States?

Tornadoes and other windstorms

Benefits of natural hazards are referred to as natural service functions.

True

Earthquakes can often cause other disasters such as tsunami or landslides.

True

Igneous rocks are usually associated with volcanic activity.

True

Land use planning is one of the most effective ways to mitigate natural hazards.

True

Low magnitude (less damaging) natural hazards tend to occur more frequently than high magnitude (more damaging) natural hazards.

True

Natural disasters can be beneficial to the earth.

True

Natural hazards are predictable to some degree.

True

Some chemical elements in the biogeochemical cycle are still not well understood.

True

The amount of risk from a volcanic eruption depends on both the probability of an eruption and where the volcano is located with respect to people and property.

True

The structure of rocks (faults, cracks, or folded rocks) can give clues as to the type of hazards found in a location.

True

The structure of rocks can give clues as to the type of hazards found in a location.

True

The wealthiest countries generally have fewer deaths from natural disasters than poorer countries.

True

What is the importance of the idea that "hazards are repetitive"?

We need to look to past events to understand what is probable for the future.

Choose the best answer: Do humans have an effect on the frequency of natural disasters?

Yes. Land use by humans can increase the frequency or size of natural disasters such as flooding or landslides.

The energy for the hydrologic cycle comes from

heat from the sun.