Deck 5: Introduction to Natural Hazards

Question 1

Changes in land-use patterns alter the effects of natural hazards.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Why are precursor events important?

A)Precursor events provide warning that a hazardous process is becoming active.
B)Precursor events help to define the magnitude and frequency of an event.
C)Precursor events define the history of a hazardous process.
D)Precursor events reveal linkages between hazards.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

How are the magnitude and frequency of natural hazard events typically related?

A)inversely related
B)directly related
C)unrelated
D)correlated

Answer 3

A

Question 4

How is the risk of a particular event defined?

A)Risk is the probability of occurrence of an event multiplied by its consequences.
B)Risk is the level of consequences of a false prediction.
C)Risk is the number of people that will be killed if an event occurs.
D)Risk is the amount of land that will be affected by a hazardous event.

Question 5

Why does population increase affect the number of catastrophic events?

A)Greater numbers of people occupy marginal lands in the path of hazardous processes.
B)Population affects the magnitude and frequency of hazardous events.
C)Hazardous events are more likely to occur in areas with more people.
D)As in Mexico City, earthquake magnitude is directly related to population.

Question 6

Why might global climate change impact the magnitude and frequency of hazardous events?

A)Many hazardous natural events are controlled in part by the amount of water in the system.
B)Climate change may cause the acceptable risk of a natural hazard to increase.
C)Climate change will likely increase the likelihood of earthquakes.
D)Climate change is directly related to land use planning efforts.

Question 7

To what does the concept of acceptable risk refer?

A)the fact that natural hazards always have risks
B)the risk that a prediction of an event is likely to be inaccurate
C)the risk that is inherent in predicting natural hazards
D)the risk that society or individuals are willing to endure

Question 8

The deadly 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz is an example of inaccurate prediction.

Question 9

Why are hazard warnings sometimes problematic?

A)people do not believe scientists
B)warnings are occasionally inaccurate
C)people do not want to hear bad news
D)the probability of natural hazards is so low that warnings are irrelevant

Question 10

Why is history important in understanding natural hazards?

A)Typically, a natural hazard will not recur, so the history of a natural hazard reveals where it won't happen.
B)Most natural hazards are low magnitude, high frequency events.
C)Most natural hazards are repetitive events.
D)The history of natural hazards is always interesting.

Question 11

What is the difference between a reactive response and an anticipatory response?

A)A reactive response is typically stronger than an anticipatory response.
B)An anticipatory response is typically stronger than a reactive response.
C)A reactive response has to do with recovery, while an anticipatory response has to do with preparedness.
D)A reactive response has much less value to society than an anticipatory response.

Question 12

How does a catastrophe differ from a disaster?

A)damages from a catastrophe are of such a magnitude to require a long recovery period
B)a disaster is typically much worse than a catastrophe
C)a catastrophe involves loss of life, while a disaster does not
D)a disaster occurs across a much greater geographic area than does a catastrophe

Question 13

Why might global warming increase the magnitude and/or frequency of weather-related hazards?

A)Global warming will affect the fundamental processes occurring in the atmosphere.
B)Warmer clouds are more likely to generate tornadoes.
C)Warmer air is able to hold less water, leading to heavier rains.
D)Warmer ocean waters will channel more energy into the atmosphere.

Question 14

Why is land use planning typically more effective than artificial control of natural hazards?

A)Land use planning often reduces the probability that a hazardous event will occur.
B)Most hazardous natural processes are not amenable to artificial control.
C)Artificial controls usually increase the probability that a hazardous event will occur.
D)Land use planning is an accepted societal tool for hazards, while artificial control is not.

Question 15

Shale is a strong rock type on which to build structures.

Question 16

A catastrophe is an event that requires a long recovery period.

Question 17

Volcanic eruptions are one of the few natural hazards that have no benefit to humans.

Question 18

Which of the following did not claim more than 250,000 lives?

A)flooding in Bangladesh in 1970
B)an earthquake in China in 1976
C)a tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004
D)Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005

Question 19

Most natural hazards are non-repetitive events.

Question 20

The magnitude and frequency of a natural hazard are typically inversely related.

Question 21

A deadly eruption of the Columbian volcano ________ provided lessons concerning the dissemination of scientific predictions of natural hazards.

Question 22

Natural hazards are always damaging and never beneficial.

Question 23

The risk of a particular event is the product of the event's occurrence multiplied by the ________.

Question 24

A prediction of a hazardous event has greater uncertainty than does a forecast.

Question 25

Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans when a(n) ________ broke.

Question 26

________ is the potential for disaster that a society or individual is willing to endure.

Question 27

The ________ of an event is the amount of energy released.

Question 28

A(n) ________ response has to do with the perception, avoidance, and adjustment to hazards.

Question 29

Hazardous processes can become catastrophes because of population increase.

Question 30

The recurrence interval of an event, also known as its ________, is typically inversely related to the event's magnitude.

Question 31

Natural hazards are ________ events; therefore, an examination of their history provides important clues.

Question 32

A(n) ________ response has to do with the impact of and recovery from hazards.

Question 33

One benefit of volcanic eruptions is nutrient-rich ________.

Question 34

Population increase is important because it buffers the impacts of hazardous event.

Question 35

A(n) ________ is a disaster from which recovery is long and involved.

Question 36

Benefits of ________ include enrichment of soils and the creation of new land.

Question 37

In 1998, Hurricane Mitch hit Central America and caused a catastrophe that was magnified by the practice of ________.

Question 38

Global climate change is not likely to alter natural hazard frequency because most hazards are not related to climate.

Question 39

Land use planning is an important anticipatory response to natural hazards.