Natural Disaster

Natural Disasters

​The covering or submerging of normally dry land with a large amount of water.

​​Flooding

The movement of earth caused by shifting tectonic plates.

Earthquake

​A type of windstorm in which a funnel of rotating air drops down from a storm cloud and touches Earth's surface.

Tornadoes

A large ocean wave produced by an earthquake or other disturbance on the ocean floor.

Tsunami

The rapid movement of snow sliding down a slope.

Avalanche

A powerful storm that forms over the ocean in the tropics.

Hurricane

A wildfire is an unplanned, unwanted fire burning in a natural area, such as a forest, grassland, or prairie.

Wildfire

Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere between clouds, the air, or the ground.

Lightening

Multiple Choice

What type of avalanche involves large sections of snow pack breaking off?

• 
  Slab avalanche

• 
  Powder avalanche

• Sluff avalanche

• 
  Wet avalanche

Multiple Choice

At what slope angle does the danger zone for avalanches begin?

• 60 degrees

• 45 degrees

• 
  30 degrees

• 
  25 degrees

Multiple Choice

What is NOT a trigger for an avalanche?

• 
  A loud noise

• 
  Strong winds

• 
  A heavy snowfall

• 
  Rapid temperature change

Multiple Choice

What method is used by ski patrols to prevent large avalanches?

• 
  Covering slopes with nets

• 
  Using heat coils

• 
  

  Firing explosives into snow packs

• Building snow walls

Multiple Choice

What is crucial for individuals to do to enhance their safety on slopes?

• 
  Ski only in pairs

• 
  Learn emergency procedures

• Carry a whistle

• Wear bright colors

Multiple Choice

What is the shape of a tornado?

• 
  Funnel-shaped

• 
  Cylinder-shaped

• 
  Cube-shaped

• 
  Sphere-shaped

Multiple Choice

What causes a vortex to extend towards the ground?

• 
  Decreasing air pressure

• 
  Increasing humidity

• 
  

  Falling cool air

• Rising buoyant air

Multiple Choice

Which area is known as 'Tornado Alley' in the United States?

• 
  The Southern States

• 
  The Western Desert

• The Eastern Coast

• 
  The Central United States

Multiple Choice

What is the average warning time before a tornado strike?

• 
  20 minutes

• 
  13 minutes

• 
  

  30 minutes

• 
  5 minutes

Multiple Choice

What was the deadliest tornado in history?

• The 1989 Bangladesh tornado

• 
  The 1925 Tri-State tornado, USA

• 
  The 1999 Oklahoma tornado, USA

• The 2013 El Reno tornado, USA

Multiple Choice

What is the most common cause of tsunamis?

• Volcanic eruptions

• 
  Meteorite impacts

• 
  Tropical storms

• 
  Earthquakes

Multiple Choice

How fast can tsunami waves travel across the ocean?

• 
  

  Up to 800 mph

• Up to 300 mph

  
  

• Up to 600 mph

  
  

• Up to 100 mph

Multiple Choice

How do tsunami waves behave differently from ordinary waves as they approach the shore?

• They maintain a constant height

• 
  They break and crest more frequently

• They turn into vapor

• They decrease in speed and increase in height

Multiple Choice

Which tsunami is considered the deadliest in history?

• 
  2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

• 1960 Chile Tsunami

• 2011 Japan Tsunami

• 1755 Lisbon Tsunami

Multiple Choice

What is the primary goal of tsunami warning centers?

• 
  To study marine life

• To monitor sea levels

• 
  To predict earthquakes

• To alert coastlines and promote evacuation

Multiple Choice

What primarily causes earthquakes?

• 
  Asteroid impacts

• Movement of tectonic plates

• 
  Severe weather conditions

• 
  Volcanic eruptions

Multiple Choice

What is a subduction zone?

• The center of a tectonic plate

• 
  An area where hot magma rises to the surface

• 
  

  A zone where one tectonic plate moves under another

• 
  A region where two plates slide past each other

Multiple Choice

How are tsunamis related to earthquakes?

• 
  There is no relation between tsunamis and earthquakes

• 
  Earthquakes under the ocean can generate tsunamis

• 
  Tsunamis are caused by strong winds

• 
  Tsunamis cause earthquakes

Multiple Choice

What is the average number of earthquakes that cause damage each year?

• 
  About 10

• 
  About 10,000

• 
  About 100

• 
  About 1,000

Multiple Choice

What future advancements are hoped for in earthquake prediction?

• 
  Eliminating earthquakes entirely

• 
  Building more resilient structures

• 
  Predicting the exact time and location of earthquakes

• Developing a global earthquake warning system

Multiple Choice

What natural disaster has caused the most death and destruction in the US over the past 100 years?

• 
  Wildfires

• 
  Floods

• 
  Tornadoes

• 
  Earthquakes

Multiple Choice

At what depth can floodwater push aside a car?

• 
  1 foot

• 
  5 feet

• 
  

  10 feet

• 
  2 feet

Multiple Choice

Which flood was mentioned as having occurred at the start of this century, causing significant damage?

• 
  The Great Mississippi Flood of 1993

• 
  Hurricane Katrina

• The Johnstown Flood

• 
  The North Sea Flood

Multiple Choice

How much damage did Hurricane Katrina cause?

• 
  Over $50 billion

• 
  Over $80 billion

• 
  Over $10 billion

• 
  

  Over $100 billion

Multiple Choice

What future changes could increase vulnerability to floods?

• 
  Decrease in sea levels

• 
  Increase in coastal erosion and changing rain patterns

• 
  More efficient water reservoirs

• 
  Decrease in global population

Multiple Choice

What is the calm center of a hurricane known as?

• 
  The vortex

• 
  

  The core

• 
  The eye

• The center

Multiple Choice

At what wind speed does a tropical storm escalate to a hurricane?

• 
  50 miles per hour

• 
  74 miles per hour

• 
  60 miles per hour

• 
  80 miles per hour

Multiple Choice

What scale is used to categorize hurricanes based on their wind speed?

• 
  Richter Scale

• 
  Saffir-Simpson Scale

• Fujita Scale

• Beaufort Scale

Multiple Choice

What percentage of hurricane deaths are attributed to storm surge?

• 
  60%

• 
  90%

• 
  85%

• 
  75%

Multiple Choice

How do hurricanes contribute to the Earth's climate system?

• 
  By cooling the oceans

• 
  By generating rainfall in deserts

• 
  By moving heat from the equator to the poles

• By reducing global temperatures

Multiple Choice

Which type of vegetation is known as 'green fuels' for wildfires?

• 
  Dry, dead grasses

• Decomposed organic matter

• 
  Living vegetation

• 
  Wet leaves

Multiple Choice

What are the three components required for a wildfire to occur?

• 
  Oxygen, water, and sunlight

• 
  Fuel, trees, and sunlight

• 
  

  Heat, fuel, and oxygen

• 
  Heat, water, and fuel

Multiple Choice

Which climate condition is mentioned as contributing to the occurrence of wildfires?

• 
  La Nina

• 
  El Nino

• 
  

  Monsoon

• 
  Polar vortex

Multiple Choice

Approximately what percentage of wildfires are caused by human activities?

• 
  90%

• 30%

• 
  

  75%

• 
  50%

Multiple Choice

How do wildfires benefit forests?

• 
  By removing harmful insects and diseased plants

• 
  By preventing any future fires

• 
  By increasing the number of trees

• 
  By promoting the growth of aquatic plants

Multiple Choice

How many thunderstorms occur worldwide at any given moment?

• 
  About 5,000

• 
  About 1,000

• 
  About 2,000

• About 500

Multiple Choice

Which type of thunderstorm is known for producing tornadoes?

• 
  Squall line

• 
  Single-cell

• 
  Multi-cell

• 
  Supercells

Multiple Choice

What is the initial cause for the formation of thunderstorms?

• Low atmospheric pressure

• 
  Warm air rising

• 
  Cold air rising

• High atmospheric pressure

Multiple Choice

What role do thunderstorms play in the planet's electrical balance?

• 
  Have no effect on electrical balance

• 
  Consume excess electricity

• 
  Regulate the electrical balance

• 
  Generate excess electricity

Multiple Choice

What hazard is not directly associated with thunderstorms?

• 
  Lightning strikes causing fires

• 
  Excessive rainfall causing flash flooding

• 
  High-speed winds from tornadoes destroying homes

• 
  Earthquakes