Natural Disasters- FINAL EXAM

TRUE OR FALSE:

Most weather-related natural disasters hit without warning.

false

Which is not a way ocean currents affect our lives?

oil production

Ocean currents act as a large _____ for the global climate.

engine

What ocean current is the largest and fastest?

gulf stream

In what country was the El Nino effect initially noticed?

peru

In neutral conditions, water temperatures near the coast of South America are

cold

During El Nino, water temperatures near the coast of South America are

warm

What force is responsible for separating the warm and cold waters across the Pacific Ocean?

winds

TRUE OR FALSE:

Based on the chaos theory, no matter how advanced computer models get, we can never accurately predict weather more than a few days in.

true

TRUE OR FALSE:

The Butterfly effect means that the smallest change in some parameters can have a huge impact down the line.

true

Erosion results in:

a) washing out of sediments and rocks to sea

b) shape change of coastline

c) all of the options are correct

c) all of the options are correct

TRUE OR FALSE:

Deposition (accretion) is completely independent of erosion.

false

TRUE OR FALSE:

Rates of erosion are dependent on the geology of the coast.

true

TRUE OR FALSE:

Erosion is a natural process that is strengthened by man-made structures on the coast.

true

Which statement is NOT true?

a) hard rocks (igneous) erode at a slower rate

b) soft rocks (sedimentary) erode at a faster rate

c) Storms strengthen coastal erosion

d) Coastal erosion occurs at very fast rates all over the world

d) Coastal erosion occurs at very fast rates all over the world

Earth spins on it's axis:

counterclockwise, from west to east

The Earth spins faster:

at the equator than at the pole

18. Which of the following is NOT a type of erosion?

a) Particles of rock and sand in the waves grind cliffs down (abrasion)

b) Water causes rocks and pebbles to collide and break up (attrition)

c) A lack of energy causes material to be dropped (deposition)

d) The constant force of water against the shore wears it away (hydraulic action)

c) A lack of energy causes material to be dropped (deposition)

Under which condition is coastal erosion more likely to occur?

a) Storms

b) Snow

c) Heat wave

a) Storms

Which of the following controls surface currents?

a) Tides

b) global wind

c) Coriolis effect

d) All of the above

d) All of the above

Which option has the greatest effect on the tides?

a) Moon

b) Sun

c) Stars

d) Weather

a) Moon

When the river hits the sea it creates a(an) __________.

estatuary

Estuaries are known as:

Nurseries of the sea

Estuaries unique plant life helps to protect from

a) Erosion

b) Floods

c) Pollution

d) All of the above

d) All of the above

What are surface currents formed by?

Global winds

Obvious curving or moving of objects due to rotation of earth is called

Coriolis effect

In the Northern Hemisphere, hurricanes spin ________ and major oceanic gyres spin ________.

counterclockwise; clockwise

The movement of sediment parallel to shore when waves strike at an angle is called:

longshore drift

What is an adverse consequence of seawall construction?

reflection of wave energy off the seawall prevents sediment from accumulating

When the Earth, Moon and Sun are all aligned, during either a full or new moon, the combination of all tidal powers is called what?

Spring tides

Plants prevent coastal erosion by ______

Holding sand in place with their roots

Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere rotate:

counterclockwise

Hurricanes in the southern hemisphere rotate

clockwise

How strong must tropical cyclone winds be in order to be classified as a hurricane?

74mph

What is the center of a hurricane called?

eye

Where do hurricanes form?

over warm ocean water

The strongest hurricanes are classified as:

category 5

38. What is the official hurricane season in the United States?

June 1-November 30

Hurricanes are classified into how many categories?

5

All hurricanes are given _________ to help identify storms and track them as they move across the ocean.

names

Piling up of water against shore at landfall is called:

storm surge

Hurricanes gather __________ and __________ through contact with warm ocean waters.

heat, energy

What is the most important ingredients necessary for a hurricane to form?

80 degrees or warmer water

What is the name of the scale used to rank hurricanes?

Saffir Simpson Scale

The water that precipitates from the atmosphere:

Is a part of the ongoing hydrologic cycle

A(n) ________ flood will occur when an engineered structure fails and releases large quantities of stored water.

dam-failure

47. TRUE OR FALSE Levees are artificial, not natural formations.

false

What is a flood?

When discharge in a river exceeds the river's capacity

What is infiltration?

Water soaking into the ground

50. What is the geologic definition of a stream?

A channelized body of water flowing down gradient

What is the mouth of a stream?

The location where one stream flows into another body of water

What is the wetted perimeter of a stream?

The amount of flow in contact with the banks and bed of the channel

What percentage of Earth's water is in the form of seawater?

96.5%

TRUE OR FALSE: When precipitation falls, water may not immediately soak in, run off, or evaporate.

true

Which of the following scenarios represents the best nonstructural approach to flood control?

Managing a floodplain to limit development in sensitive areas

Why are urban areas susceptible to flash floods?

A high percentage of the surface area is covered with cement, asphalt, and other impervious materials

What does FEMA stand for?

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Which of the following typically leads to increased risk of floods for a population:

a) Coastal Migration

b) Urbanization

c) All of the choices

c) All of the choices

Why are people in the USA, and other parts of the world, more at risk from floods than ever before?

because more people are living on the coasts and floodplains.

In the future, which of the following is expected to increase the risk of flooding?

a) climate change

b) urbanization

c) population growth

d) all of the choices

d) all of the choices

A levee is:

A bank of earth that stops/slows flooding

What countries are affected by the poorly recognized tornado hotspot in Asia?

Bangladesh and India

TRUE OR FALSE: Tornado winds are more dangerous than the debris in a tornado.

false

Specific conditions for formation of tornadoes include:

a) Increase in wind speed

b) Rising air within a thunderstorm c) warm, moist air mixed with cool, dry air

d) all of the choice

d) all of the choice

TRUE OR FALSE: A tornado occurs when cold dry air meets warm wet air.

true

What time of day do tornadoes usually occur?

Afternoon and early evening

A tornado WATCH means that...?

Thunderstorms producing tornadoes are likely, but not certain.

A tornado WARNING means that...?

A tornado has been spotted in your county

TRUE OR FALSE: waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water or move from land onto water.

true

What measures the intensity of a tornado?

Fujita Scale

TRUE OR FALSE: A tornado can measure miles across the funnel.

true

Of the following states, which is struck by the largest number of tornadoes?

a) North Dakota

b) New Mexico

c) Oklahoma

d) North Carolina

Oklahoma

Warm air:

is lighter than cold air

TRUE OR FALSE:

Tornadoes occur frequently in areas to the west of the Rocky Mountains.

false

How many levels are in the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity?

6

TRUE OR FALSE: Tornadoes are always composed of dark or black funnels.

false

What is the average forward speed of a tornado on the ground?

30 mph

The majority of tornadoes

have a narrow path of destruction

What factors contribute to the growth of forests?

topography, elevation, weather

TRUE OR FALSE:

Once a patch of forest burned, it helped to prevent the flow of fire across the landscape.

true

In what season do most out-of-control wildfires happen?

summer

TRUE OR FALSE:

Wildfires positive impact is burning up dead wood.

true

What is the best solution to reconstruct the patchy structure of the forest?

prescribed burning

TRUE OR FALSE:

Wind can help put out a wildfire and rain can make a wildfire spread

false

How are wildfires initiated?

lightning and campfires

The manner and rate at which fire spreads is a function of _______________. a) weather conditions

b) fuel source

c) wind direction and velocity

d) all of the choices

d) all of the choices

The essential ingredients in any fire include

a) Oxygen

b) ignition (heat)

c) fuel source

d) 2 of the choices

d) 2 of the choices

Which of the following might help prevent home fires?

a) Building with inflammable material and clearing foliage away from the home.

b) Using wood shingles.

c) Building on a slope

a) Building with inflammable material and clearing foliage away from the home.

Prescribed fires are designed to control ____________________.

build-up of underbrush that frequently fuels wildfires

Which option is a hazard associated with wildfires?

a) hot gas

b smoke

c) unstable and burnet out slopes

d) all of the choices

d) all of the choices

Which one does NOT contribute to the damages associated with wildfires?

a) Wind

b) geology of the area

c) temperatures

d) air moisture

b) geology of the area

What are the 3 important factors in controlling fire behavior?

weather, fuels, topography

TRUE OR FALSE:

Wildfires only cause fires on the ground.

false

TRUE OR FALSE: Prescribed fires could go out of control and produce wildfires.

true

Fire intensity depends on:

a) fuel loading

b) fuel moisture content

c) compactness of arrangement of fuels

d) all of the choices

d) all of the choices

Fire intensity is -------

energy output per foot per second

Rate of spread is ------

the distance fire travels during a given period of time

Which option is NOT one of the primary factors affecting ROS of a wildfire? ROS=Rate of Speed.

a) flame length

b) windspeed

c) steepness of slope

d) fire intensity

a) flame length

Which option never acts as a barrier to fire spread?

a) geology of the area

b) wind

c) water bodies

d) a paved road

b) wind

TRUE OR FALSE:

In suppressing wildfires retardants are more effective than water

true