Natural Disasters Quiz

Which of the following is a destructive geological process?

• volcanic activity

• earthquake

• mountain-building

• weathering

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Which scale relates the wind speed of a hurricane to the amount of damage it causes?

• Richter scale

• Fujita-Pearson scale

• Saffir-Simpson scale

• Modified Mercalli scale

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The theory of plate tectonics best explains which of the following?

• how and why individual plates on Earth’s crust remain in motion

• what keeps individual plates on Earth’s crust from moving

• causes of destructive geological processes on Earth’s surface

• location and magnitude of upcoming earthquakes and volcanoes

• None of the above

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Near-surface earthquakes occur at which type or types of plate boundaries?

• divergent boundaries, or spreading zones

• convergent boundaries, or subduction zones

• both divergent and convergent boundaries

• transform fault boundaries, where one plate slides over another

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A tropical storm is officially classified as a hurricane when it reaches which wind speed?

• 23 miles per hour

• 40 miles per hour

• 74 miles per hour

• 98 miles per hour

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In which region of Earth is a tornado most likely to occur?

• Mexico

• Midwest United States

• Central Asia

• Europe

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In an earthquake, which type or types of seismic waves are most destructive?

• primary waves

• secondary waves

• large waves

• All types are about equally destructive

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A hurricane frequently produces which of the following types of floods?

• tsunami

• storm surge

• regional flood

• flash flood

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Volcanic activity around the Pacific Ring of Fire occurs at which type of tectonic plate location?

• hot spots near the centers of plates

• transform fault boundaries near Earth’s surface

• divergent boundaries, or spreading zones between plates

• convergent boundaries, or subduction zones where plates slide over each other

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A heat wave is a type of weather extreme that often coincides with which other type of disaster?

• A. drought

• B. thunderstorm

• C. flood

• D. tornado

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Natural Disasters