Download Understanding Natural Disasters: Seismic Activity, Volcanic Formation, and CO2 Emissions and more Exams Biology in PDF only on Docsity!
ENV 111 Course Assignment
Most natural disasters are which of the following? - rarely if ever cyclic because there are too many overlapping effects The costs of catastrophic events continue to increase primarily because ____. - more people are moving into areas at high risk for natural disasters When is a large event such as a major earthquake not a disaster? - when it happens in an area without any people Which of the following was the main reason why most scientists did not believe in the concept of continental drift? - The originator of the concept of continental drift did not adequately explain how the continents could move. The theory of continental drift was explained and replaced by the theory of plate tectonics. - True Which of the following is not true with respect to the San Andreas fault? - The San Andreas fault represents the convergent boundary between the North American and the Pacific plates. How did mountain ranges like the Himalayas, Alps, and Appalachians form? - they all formed along continent-continent convergent plate boundaries The meteorologist who originally proposed the idea of continents being able to move around on Earth's surface was _____. - Alfred Wegener The originator of the theory of continental drift called the single landmass _______. - Pangaea A transform plate boundary involves - two plates sliding laterally past each other. How do we know about the internal structure of the earth? - By using the behavior of seismic waves as they travel through the earth. The Midcontinent Rift which underlies part of Iowa is evidence of what past geologic event? - The Midcontinent Rift is evidence that the central part of the North American continent was once the site of a divergent boundary that failed. When the Dec. 16, 1811 New Madrid earthquake occurred in Missouri, church bells in New York rang in response to shaking from this earthquake. - True
Which of the following is not true with respect to the strongest aftershock during the 1811- earthquakes? - The strongest aftershock caused the formation of the bluffs along the Missouri River near Council Bluffs, Iowa. The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes occurred _______. - all of the above Which of the following did not occur during the Dec. 16, 1811, New Madrid earthquake? - Downed power lines caused numerous small fires along the Mississippi River. The Reelfoot Rift formed when the supercontinent of Pangaea began to split apart around 700 million years ago. - False The Reelfoot Rift formed _______. - as a result of the breakup of Rodinia over 700 million years ago. Which of the following would be a modern analogy to the Reelfoot Rift when it was active? - the triple junction centered around the Afar Triangle in northeast Africa. Sand boils and mud volcanoes form when _____. - intense shaking ejects overpressured mud and sand to the surface along narrow fractures. The New Madrid Seismic Zone does not include which of the following states? - Iowa Why does the intensity map for the Dec. 16, 1811, earthquake not show any intensities on the west side of the map? - Intensities are not shown on the west side of the map because the population of European settlers in that part of the U.S. was sparse. Moment magnitude depends on what main factor(s)? - shear strength of the rocks displaced, total surface area of rocks ruptured, and average slip distance on the fault What does the Richter Magnitude Scale depend on? - the maximum amplitude of earthquake waves on a seismograph Earthquakes occur in association with convergent and transform fault boundaries, but not divergent boundaries. - False The point along a fault where movement first occurs during an earthquake is called the earthquake's ______. - focus
Immediately run up slope as far as possible. Which letter represents the epicenter of the Tohoku Earthquake? - Y From the time the siren went off and the tsunami hit the city of Sendai, how long did the residents of Sendai have to evacuate to higher ground before the tsunami hit? - 3 minutes Which of the following is true? - Much of the initial problems associated with the nuclear reactors was due to flooding of the generators, brought on by the tsunami. Why does Japan rely so heavily on nuclear energy? - Because Japan has few natural resources that it can use to generate electricity. The Great Tohoku earthquake occurred _______. - in the Japan trench subduction zone. In the spring of 2003, some unusual events occurred in Yellowstone that caused some to worry that Yellowstone might erupt. Select the 3 events that occurred in 2003. - The ground heated up and cracks opened up. Large earthquakes occurred in the park. Steamboat Geyser, a geyser that can be dormant for up to 50 years, began erupting. It was assumed that Yellowstone's heat source was an extinct volcano. What event made scientists realize that Yellowstone was still active and prompted them to take a closer look at the seismic activity of the national park? - A large earthquake in Yellowstone National Park in 1959. After scientists installed seismographs, how many earthquakes per week did they record? - 25 What is Yellowstone? - Yellowstone is a caldera that overlies an active magma chamber. What would the Volcanic Explosivity Index be if Yellowstone erupts? - 8 Why is Yellowstone's supervolcano so explosive? - The magma beneath Yellowstone is full of gas and very viscous because it is silica-rich. One of the geologists listed some potential precursors to a Yellowstone eruption. The precursors he listed are earthquake swarms, heating of the ground, increasing hydrothermal events, and _____. - ground uplift.
The most recent supervolcano to erupt was _________ and it occurred ________ years ago. This volcano may have nearly ended human life on earth. - Toba; 74, Yellowstone's most recent eruption was _______. There is evidence that Yellowstone has errupted _____ in the last 2.3 million years. - ~600,000 years ago, 3 times What is the source of Yellowstone's volcanism? - Yellowstone sits on a hotspot. A basalt magma typically erupts in what form? - lava flows VEI stands for ______. - a volcano's explosivity index. Which of the following would not be a part of the Ring of Fire? - the Cascade Mountains How do volcanoes form at convergent boundaries? - Volcanoes at convergent boundaries form when the melting temperature of the rock is lowered by the water in the subducting plate. This melt may then rise to the surface where it will form a volcano. Most of Earth's active volcanoes are found _____. - in the Ring of Fire. What are the two most abundant gases in magmas? - water vapor and carbon dioxide Which of the following volcanoes formed over a hot spot? - Hawaii Which of the following did not occur as a result of the eruption of Krakatau? - The sound of the explosions could be heard as far away as San Francisco, California. What is the tectonic reason for the Sunda Strait? - The Sunda Strait formed as a result of the wrenching motion caused by the north-northeast motion of the island of Sumatra and the east motion of the island of Java. Approximately 40,000 people died as a result of the 1883 eruption of Krakatau. What were the two volcanic hazards responsible for these deaths? - tsunamis and pyroclastic flows The background in the painting, The Scream, by Edvard Munch is evidence of what? - the high amount of sulfur dioxide put into the atmosphere by the eruption of Krakatau in
occur on faults when rocks rupture, releasing stored up stress as energy Which of the following did not occur during the Dec. 16, 1811, New Madrid earthquake? - Downed power lines caused numerous small fires along the Mississippi River. The massive loss of life in the 2010 Haiti earthquake was primarily due to _____. - poor construction and lack of attention to building design in residential homes. The Great Tohoku earthquake occurred as a result of ______. - subduction of the Pacific plate under the Japan plate. Which of the following is not true concerning tsunamis on the open ocean? - A tsunami in the open ocean will look like a huge wall of water to a ship in its path. A tsunami may occur when _____. - All of the above have the potential to cause a tsunami. Unlike regular ocean waves, tsunami waves are different because they ____. - move much faster The drawing below shows a cross-sectional view of a subduction zone. An earthquake that occurs at location X has the potential to displace the overlying seawater, causing - a tsunami Volcanoes with high silica magmas generally have more explosive eruptions than those with lower silica magmas. - True Highly explosive magmas are controlled by which of the following? - high silica content and high water Which is the product of a non-explosive style of eruption? - Lava flows Why is Yellowstone's supervolcano so explosive? - The magma beneath Yellowstone is full of gas and very viscous because it is silica-rich. What do the red and blue dots represent on the graph and small map? - NOAA observatory stations What was the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere in January, 2017? - 406 ppm When you watch the segment for 1979-2011, you'll see the CO2 levels fluctuate (most dramatically at monitoring stations in the northern mid and low latitudes - around the equator) during each year. Why is this? - seasonal changes in vegetation photosynthesis
Approximately what year did CO2 levels start to noticeably increase from the pre-industrial levels? This part of the animation moves quickly so you will have to pause and rewind. - 1850 We can see the correlation between the start of industrialization (increasing manufacturing) and the increasing CO2 levels. What activity related to industrialization would add increasingly large amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere? - increasing use of fossil fuels Which proxy records are used in reconstructing the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations before modern direct measurements and monitoring stations? - Ice cores Between 20,000 - 800,000 years ago, there were several ice ages (periods of global cooling interspersed with periods of warming). During these extended periods of cooling (we call these glaciations), ice advanced over the land and CO2 concentrations decreased. During warming periods (we call these interglacials) CO2 concentrations increased. What was the average atmospheric CO2 concentration during the ice ages? - 185 ppm Over the last 800,000 years before industrialization (between the year 1800 and 800,000 BCE), when was the largest peak of CO2? - 325,000 yrs ago Over the last 800,000 years before industrialization (between the year 1800 and 800,000 BCE), what was the largest amount of CO2 during that time? - 300 ppm When Charles Keeling began monitoring CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in 1960, he recorded CO2 levels at around 320 ppm. What is the rate of change in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels between 1960 and 2017? - 1.5 ppm/yr Earth emits most of its radiation in the _________ part of the electromagnetic spectrum. - infrared Which change is NOT expected as a result of global warming? - increase in the flow of the warm Gulf Stream toward Europe Why is it warmer in the northern hemisphere in July than it is in December? - The sun's rays shine more directly on the northern hemisphere in the summer than in the winter. The sun's peak radiation is in the _______ part of the electromagnetic spectrum. - visible light Approximately when did the rapid increase in human-produced atmospheric CO2 begin? - 1800s
undercutting of the slope by the Stillaguamish River slope composed of glacial sediments with high porosity When pore spaces in sediment becomes saturated with water, the sediment loses strength and cohesion. This phenomenon is called __________. - liquifaction Increases in precipitation lead to increased landslide risk. On average, how many landslide-related deaths occur in Nepal during each monsoon season? - 100 According to the video, how many people died in the Oso Landslide? - 43 An unstable marine sediment with a disorganized structure that can flow like water if disturbed is called _________. - quick clay What causes caverns or open spaces to form in limestone? - Rainwater mixes with carbon dioxide to make weak carbonic acid that dissolves limestone. The gradual process of subsidence can result from all of the following activities except - digging open-pit mines to mine for coal Which of the following is the major driving force in all mass movements? - gravity Water can be removed from a wet, unstable slope in all the following ways except... - Placing a load on the slope to squeeze water out Using the accompanying diagram, label the features correctly. - A: head, B: toe, C: crown, D: scarp Other than limestone, what types of rocks are soluble in water and can form cavities that collapse? - salt and gypsum The October 1963 Vajont Dam landslide occurred without any warning. - False Which of the following is true with respect to the underlying geology in the Vajont River valley? - The Vajont River valley is underlain by rocks that dip (tilt) into the valley. The October 1963 Vajont Dam landslide killed around 2,500 people. How long did it take for the mass movement to flow out of the reservoir, over the dam, and into the valley below? - 12 minutes
The force of the October 1963 Vajont landslide was enough to _____. - All of the above are results of the 1963 Vajont Dam landslide. As a result of mass movements on the slope above the Vajont Dam, _______. - water levels in the reservoir were raised and lowered several times in an attempt to reach hydraulic equilibrium between the water level in the reservoir and the nearby rocks. On average, more people die from which type of natural disaster than any other? - flash floods and flooding An unusually wet summer was the primary cause of the 1993 Flood. The jet stream became locked over the midwest and ____ inches of rain fell over ____ months. - 30, 6 The 1993 Flood had a recurrence interval of ______. - 500 years Which town's levee withstood the flood? - Prairie du Rocher, IL Which agency manages the rivers, dams, and levees in the United States.? - Army Corp of Engineers Which town's levee failure was credited with saving St Louis, Missouri from flooding. - Columbia, IL How many states were directly affected by the 1993 Flood? - 9 Why would a home built on the floodplain behind a levee be safe from flooding? - This statement is not true. Select the 3 methods inspired by the 1993 Flood to prevent future damage and loss from flooding. - Elevating homes above flood level Returning agricultural land to natural wetlands Leaving crop residue on the land to reduce soil erosion and run-off Select the 3 ENGINEERING flood-control methods. - dams, levees, channelization Which of the following is NOT a common reason cited for building large dams on rivers? - to raise groundwater levels All the engineering approaches below are put in place to prevent a river from flooding except... - jetties
They had survived previous hurricanes without evacuating. What caused the Industrial Canal & Intercoastal Waterway levees to fail? - The storm surge sent a huge wave of water up the Intercoastal Waterway, over-topping the canal walls and scouring away the earthen levees. After the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over New Orleans, why did the flood waters continue to rise in the low-lying areas of the city? - Levee along two canals failed and water from Lake Ponchartrain drained into the city center. Why did the 17th Street and London Street canals fail? - Water soaked into the underlying peat layer and weakened the soft sediments beneath the levee wall. Over the last 30 years, hurricanes have become more ______ due to _______. - intense, warmer ocean temperatures What effect do groins, breakwaters, and jetties have on coastal erosion? - they interrupt the transport of sand down the beach front How might global warming exacerbate coastal hazards? - global warming is accompanied by sea level rise The current flowing parallel to and just offshore of a beach is called - longshore current Why are the impacts of coastal hazards such as erosion, storm surge, and flooding so great? - because densely populated areas are located at or near the coasts All the engineering structures below are used to alter or slow coastal wave erosion except... - levee When waves approach the shore and enter shallow water - the waves slow down and the wave height increases What aspect of tropical cyclones tends to cause the greatest death and destruction - flooding from rain, waves, and storm surge Beach nourishment _______________. - a coastal engineering method that replenishes the sand to provide a recreation beach and helps protect coastal properties from erosion by widening the beach Which does NOT control the characteristics or shape of a coastline - dominant wind direction Why does the damming of rivers sometime contribute to coastal erosion? - the supply of new sand to replenish beaches is cut off
