Mega-disasters are events such as tsunamis, earthquakes, or regional droughts that affect more than one country and have unusually large human and economic impacts. Which of the following best describes a mega-disaster?

California is a rich member state of the USA on the SouthWest coast of North America. Its population of 38 million people, predominantly coastally situated especially in the densely populated megacity of Los Angeles and millionaire cities of San Francisco and San Diego, is vulnerable to many geophysical and hydrometeorological hazards. Fill in the blank: California is vulnerable to many _______ and _______ hazards.

Look at the images provided. What types of disasters are shown in the images?

According to the passage, where are California's 38 million residents predominantly situated?

Which city is described as a densely populated megacity in California?

Fill in the blank: San Francisco is described as a ________ city in the passage.

The population of California increased every decade from 1850 to 2010 according to the table.

Which of the following is a Geophysical Hazard?

Which of the following is a Hydrometeorological Hazard?

Which two tectonic plates are involved in the movement along the San Andreas Fault?

The San Andreas Fault is described as a ________ fault.

The San Andreas Fault runs parallel to the plate boundary but at ________ speeds.

How do earthquakes occur along the San Andreas Fault?

According to the map, which two plates are involved in the movement along the San Andreas Fault?

How many damaging earthquakes does California experience each year?

What is the predicted magnitude of the earthquake expected in the San Francisco Bay area by 2025?

What was the magnitude of the Loma Prieta Earthquake?

How many people were killed in the Loma Prieta Earthquake?

What was the estimated economic damage caused by the Loma Prieta Earthquake?

What was the last volcano to erupt in California, and in what year did it erupt?

How many threatening volcanic areas does California have?

There have been no volcanic eruptions in California since 1915.

Name two examples of volcanoes in Northeast California.

Landslides occur on ______ land with a steep gradient. Fill in the blank.

Which of the following can make land unstable and lead to landslides?

Fill in the blank: The risk of landslide disasters in California is high because of building on and around ________ (e.g. The Rockies).

Tsunamis are caused by _________.

Earthquakes under the Pacific Ocean could cause a tsunami along the Californian coast.

In what year did the Alaska Earthquake Tsunami hit Crescent City in Northern California?

Drought can also be caused by ________ events, periods when the ocean currents in the eastern Pacific Ocean is cooler, which means less evaporation and therefore less precipitation.

Increased wind blowing westward from the desert areas East of California, such as Arizona, brings air with no moisture to cause precipitation. What is this cause of drought called?

Wildfires spread very easily and quickly in California during droughts because:

Which areas were affected by the January 2025 Southern California Wildfires?

Which of the following was NOT a contributing factor to the 2025 wildfires?

Over ______ people were displaced due to evacuations during the 2025 wildfires.

How many direct deaths were caused by the 2025 wildfires?

Who led the firefighting efforts during the 2025 wildfires?

What type of aircraft was used in the firefighting efforts during the 2025 wildfires?

The 2025 wildfires were fully contained by which date?

The 2025 wildfires were linked to which global issue?

According to the passage, why does California have a high capacity to cope with natural disasters?

All parts of California's population are equally vulnerable to natural disasters according to the passage.

Fill in the blank: Over ____ of California's population live within 50km of a fault line, creating widespread seismic vulnerability.

Fill in the blank: The risk of landslides and disaster is increased by the construction of buildings on ________ land, which can become a major problem because of the possibility of soil liquefaction.

Fill in the blank: Coastal distribution of population and infrastructure makes the populations and buildings/infrastructure vulnerable to coastal hazards such as ________.

According to the passage, what percentage of Los Angeles residents live in poverty?

Some people live in poverty with a low capacity to cope below the official poverty line.

According to the passage, why do huge economic losses occur in California from natural disasters, even at low magnitudes?

The state's wealth creates both resilience and vulnerability to natural disasters.