Natural Hazards Final Ms State

Which plate boundary is considered a strike-slip fault?

Transform

Which earthquake scale is the most widely accepted? It is tied directly to physical parameters such as fault-rupture, fault slip, and energy release.

Moment Magnitude scale

A zone of omission in the rock layer occurs in a normal fault.

True

Which portion of the Earth is the largest?

Mantle

List the five eruption types associated with volcanoes from least to most explosive.

1. Icelandic 2. Hawaiian 3. Strombolian 4. Vulcanian 5. Plinian

List the ways in which a tsunami can be created. 

submarine landslides and meteorite collisions

There is only one high tide and one low tide per day across the entire Earth.

 

False

Shorelines are the most transitory landforms on the planet.

True

Jetties and Groins (man-made structures that help prevent coastal erosion) are built parallel to the coast.

False

Which type of coast is associated with cliffs?

Erosional

are waves in the breaker zone that hit the beach at an angle, causing the current to flow down the beach.

Longshore current

is imperceptible downslope movement of the soil and uppermost bedrock and operates on any hill, regardless of slope.

Creep

Which mass movement occurs at the fastest speed?

Falls

Rotational slides move upward and outward on top of curved surfaces.

False

Which of the following is a reason that a mass wasting event occurs?

Gravity over time

Water

 Stress from freeze, heat, thaw

occurs during the most saturated conditions.

A mudflow

Which volcanic eruption is believed to have altered the human race? 

Toba - ~70,000 years ago

When was Mt. Saint Helens last major eruption?

1980

A _______ is defined as a composite cone built of layers of lava and pyroclastics. These volcanoes are highly explosive. Examples are Mt. St. Helens, Krakatoa, and Pinatubo.

Stratovolcano

Which of the following causes the most deaths from a volcanic eruption?

Pyroclastic flows

The volcanoes that make up the Cascade Mountains are nearly the same age.

True

A ______ is defined as a volcanic mudflow composed of unconsolidated debris and water.

Lahar

Which type of magma has the highest viscosity?

Rhyolitic

A _________ is defined as a large, basin-shaped volcanic depression that forms through the collapse of a cylinder of overlying rocks into the underlying, partially evacuated magma chamber.

Caldera

What percent of volcanoes occur at hot spots?

12%

Peaceful volcanic eruptions are more common at what plate boundary type?

Spreading centers

A tsunami is a wind driven, tidal wave.

False

is the system used to monitor and warn for tsunamis.

DART

What is the weakest magnitude earthquake needed to have the potential produce an tsunami?

7

A ________ fault is defined as a dip-slip fault where the upper fault block has moved upward due to compressional stress.

Reverse

Which type of wave advances in a backward rotating, elliptical motion? These rolling waves make you feel like you are on a boat in the ocean. 

Rayleigh

Which location will have a higher heat index based on the following information?

Starkville, MS - Temperature 98F, Dewpoint temperature = 50F

Tucson, AZ - Temperature = 98F, Dewpoint temperature = 28F

Starkville, MS

Which phase of the ENSO is associated with warmer than normal sea-surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific and weaker east-to-west flow (trade winds) across the Pacific?

Warm phase (El Niño

You and your friends are at an outdoor activity during the middle of summer. You notice that all of your friends are sweating profusely. Shortly after, you notice that one of your friends has stopped sweating. You call the paramedics to check on your friend. Your friend's temperature is 104F. Your friend is showing signs of ______________.

Heat stroke

Which type of drought is defined as surface and subsurface waters being below normal?

Hydrological

Over the last 60 years, which heat wave characteristics have increased?

Frequency

Duration

Length of season

is issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions. Maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 105°F or higher for at least 2 days and night time air temperatures will not drop below 75°F.  This value will vary across the county.

 

Excessive Heat Warning

Which of the following natural hazards is known as the "silent killer"?

Heat

A heat wave is often associated with which of the following?

A slow moving high pressure or ridge in the area

The warm phase of ENSO is characterized by ____ consecutive 3-month means of sea-surface temperatures greater than 0.5ºC above normal.

5

How long does a heat wave typically last?

2 days or more

The fire reaction process is the photosynthesis process in reverse.

true

Why are Santa Anna winds so warm?

All of the answers are correct

The direction a slope faces is extremely important in determining the spread of wildfires due to the fuels and meteorological conditions. The direction a slope is facing is known as the _______.

Aspect

What ignition temperature is needed to ignite wildland fuels?

 

600F

When it comes to variables that influence wildfire, what is the most variable component of the fire environment?

Weather

Backfires are designed to _

Limit the fuels ahead of the fire line

A _______________ is issued when fire conditions are ongoing or expected to occur shortly.

Red Flag Warning

Which of the following heat transfers occur in wildfires?

 

Convection

 Conduction

 Radiation

Which tropical cyclone is regarded as the deadliest ever (globally)?

Bangladesh, 1970

All U.S. agencies use a ____ average wind speed to determine the sustained winds of a tropical cyclone

1-minute

Which of the following is associated with the most deaths from tropical cyclones?

Storm surge and inland flooding

Tropical cyclone development is the greatest in the Atlantic Ocean when a strong El Nino is present, there are warm sea-surface temperatures, and when western Africa is experiencing a wet summer. 

False

The North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone season is from:

June 1 to November 30

Tropical cyclones rarely form in which ocean basin?

South Atlantic

Tornadoes typically form in what quadrant of a tropical cyclone?

Front right quadrant

Based on storm motion, where is the greatest storm surge and wind speed located in a tropical cyclone?

Front right quadrant

In general, Atlantic Ocean hurricanes are stronger than tropical cyclones in the western Pacific Ocean.

false

The location and strength of the Bermuda High plays a pivotal part of a tropical cyclone's path. The Bermuda High typical resides in the central Atlantic Ocean. Which of the following locations and strengths of the Bermuda High will cause tropical cyclones to make their way into the Gulf of Mexico before turning to the north? The location and strength was present during the 2005 and 2020 seasons.

Strong Bermuda High located over the western Atlantic Ocean

FEMA uses the 100-year flood for regulation requirements. What does a 100-year flood mean?

There is a 1% chance of a similar flood occurring in any 1 year

is defined as the length of the stream channel divided by the straight line distance between its ends.

Sinuosity

Which of the following is NOT covered by the National Flood Insurance Program?

Vehicles

What flood stage is associated with roads, parks, and yards potentially being covered in water?

minor

If a stream/river has too much discharge certain processes must occur in order for the stream/river to reach equilibrium. Which of the following does NOT occur when there is too much discharge?

The gradient of the stream increases (become steeper)

The flooding events in Ellicott City, MD were caused by which of the following flood styles?

Flash flooding

A flood-frequency curve plots _______________.

flood discharge vs. recurrence interval

The nearly flat lowlands that border a stream or river is known as the _________. This area acts as the steam or river bed during floods.

Floodplain

Tropical Cyclones are called ________________ in the Western Pacific (northern hemisphere).

Typhoons

What conditions (ingredients) are needed for tropical cyclone development?

Warm, humid and unstable air Significant distance (~500km or ~300mi) from the Equator Weak wind shear

Explain the difference between a regional flood and a flash flood. Which one is associated with more deaths? Which one is associated with a greater economic impact?

Regional flood is a long lasting flood that occurs over a long period of time. A flash flood is Flood that happens quick with alot of rainfall at one time

List the three sides of both the Fire Triangle and the Fire Behavior Triangle. 

Fire triangle- Heat, Fuel, Oxygen.   Fire Behavior triangle- weather, topography, fuel 

What is the urban heat island effect? Describe.

The Urban heat island effect is the Urban cities are not like rural. There is no vegetation or anything to take up the sunlight it is mostly concrete. The concrete and building are what give off this heat. Also leads to higher overnight temperatures

What severe weather event type causes the most damage in billions of dollars in the United States

Tropical cyclone

Which severe weather event type causes the most deaths in the US

Heat

what is defined as the source of danger to life, property, and the environment

Natural hazard

How is risk calculated

Hazard * vulnerability

What is not a fact about natural hazards

natural hazards do not change

is defined as a widespread connectively induced straight line windstorm. Wind reports (58mph) or greater Must be continuous or intermittent over a distance of at least -250 miles

Derecho

Which type of thunderstorms typically forms in the late afternoon due to diurnal heating. These are very common in the southeast during the summer months.

Ordinary airmass pop up

What defines the difference between a microburst and a macroburts

Area of downburst

Hail stones form when raindrops are carried by updrafts up into cold areas of a thunderstorm

True

In order for lighting to occur the charges seperation must take place

top of storm-positive

Bottom of storm - Negative

earths surface- positive

The area of rain cooled air blank in size as a derecho becomes mature

increases

What percentage of lightning strikes come in contact with the earths surface

20%

which type of winter precipitation will result from a deep layer of warm air in the mid atmosphere

freezing rain

Winter weather ranks number one in weather related fatalities

false

Is defined as a partially melted snowflake that reefreezez before reaching the earth

sleet

what is the definition of fetch as it relates to lake effect snow

the distance traveled by the wind

winter storm —— are issued for a significant winter weather event including snow ice sleet or blowing snow. travel will become difficult

warnings

______ occurs when the internal body temp drops below 35c (95F) The heart respiratory systems and other systems cannot function at this temp

Hypothermia

What type of NOR’easter occurs when a low pressure forms along the gulf coast and moves up the east coast.

Miler type A

from 1985-2008 the greatest number of tornado fatalities occured

in mobile/ manufactured homes

Which region of the us has the most tornado fatalities

southeast

How many catagories are included in the current version of the storm prediction center (SPC) categorical outlook for days 1-3

6

a ____ is issued when conditions are favorable for multiple tornadoes or single intense tornado

tornado watch

a _____ forms as a lowered cloud beneath the mesocyclones of a supercell. If a tornado forms, it will emerge from this feature.

wall cloud

There are several environmental ingredients needed to support thunderstorm development.

directional shear

speed shear

which seasons experince the greatest number of tornadoes in the southeast

spring and fall

tornado fatalities have what since the 1940

decreased

List the three types of lift associated with thunderstorms

Frontal , covectional,orographic