Natural Hazards Quiz

What is the best definition of a natural hazard?

• Any event created by humans that causes damage

• A physical event with potential to cause loss of life, injury, damage or disruption

• A long‑term process that changes landscapes with no effect on people

• A phenomenon that always leads to a disaster

A natural disaster differs from a natural hazard in that:

• There must be at least 1 death

• There must be serious disruption to a community (economic, social, environmental)

• It must occur only in a developing country

• It must cover more than 100 km²

Which of the following is a geological hazard?

• Drought

• Flood

• Earthquake

• Tropical cyclone

Which of the following is a climatic hazard?

• Volcano

• Tsunami

• Earthquake

• Drought

Which layer of Earth lies immediately beneath the crust?

• Outer core

• Mantle

• Inner core

• Lithosphere

The theory of plate tectonics helps explain:

• The distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes

• Climate change

• Soil formation

• Ocean salinity

At a constructive (divergent) plate boundary, one expects:

• Subduction

• Earthquakes and mountain building

• Lava rising, sea-floor spreading

• No volcanic activity

At a destructive (convergent) plate boundary between oceanic and continental plates, what happens?

• Plates pull apart

• The continental plate is subducted

• The denser oceanic plate is subducted under the continental plate

• Plates slide past each other

What is the Richter scale used for?

• Measuring volcanic ash thickness

• Measuring earthquake magnitude

• Measuring rainfall intensity

• Measuring storm surge height

The epicentre of an earthquake is:

• The point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus

• The deepest point of rupture

• The point where magnitude is measured

• The point of maximum damage always