Deck 27: Environmental Geology

Question 1

Hurricanes are to warm, moist water as earthquakes are to

A)volcanoes.
B)tsunami.
C)blocks of deformed rock.
D)mountains.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history?

A)Hurricane Hugo
B)Hurricane Katrina
C)The Boxing Day tsunami
D)The Loma Prieta earthquake

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is not a type of volcano?

A)cinder cone
B)shield
C)composite
D)hot spot

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Earth experiences ice ages partly because there are variations in Earth's

A)greenhouse gas levels.
B)sea level.
C)seismic activity.
D)tilt and orbit.

Question 5

Earthquakes can do a lot of damage to buildings because they

A)occur frequently.
B)are hard to predict.
C)generate waves that carry a lot of energy.
D)all of the above

Question 6

Climate depends on

A)latitude.
B)elevation.
C)ocean currents.
D)all of these

Question 7

Your kid brother predicts that another earthquake will occur in the San Francisco area. Is his prediction likely to come true?

A)Yes, because a tectonic plate boundary runs through the San Francisco area.
B)Yes, because earthquakes always occur in clusters.
C)Yes, because there is a hot spot under San Francisco.
D)Yes, because San Francisco hasn't had a big earthquake since 1906.

Question 8

Which of the following is not true of hurricanes?

A)Hurricanes form over tropical oceans.
B)Hurricanes can travel long distances over land.
C)The energy source for hurricanes is condensing water vapor.
D)The frequency of hurricanes will increase as climate warms.

Question 9

A volcano's flanks are swollen 2 meters from their equilibrium position. This means that the volcano

A)may soon erupt.
B)will definitely erupt soon.
C)is being uplifted by plate tectonics.
D)is erupting toxic gas.

Question 10

A hurricane is a group of rotating

A)waves.
B)surface currents.
C)convection cells.
D)thunderclouds.

Question 11

Natural causes of climate change include variation in

A)the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
B)Earth's density.
C)the amount of water in the hydrosphere.
D)the concentration of atmospheric nitrogen.

Question 12

Tsunami are usually caused by

A)Milankovich cycles.
B)global warming.
C)earthquakes.
D)Earth's changing orbit.

Question 13

Which of the following events is not associated with climate change?

A)a volcanic eruption
B)an increase in the level of water vapor in the atmosphere
C)deforestation
D)an earthquake over magnitude 8.0

Question 14

When Earth's continents were assembled as Pangaea, they covered much of Earth's surface that lies near the equator. Why did this warm the Earth's climate?

A)It restricted the flow of surface currents.
B)The Sun's most intense radiation struck land instead of water.
C)both of the above
D)neither of the above

Question 15

What generally causes earthquakes?

A)break-up of the continents
B)motion of tectonic plates
C)the release of radioactivity from Earth's interior
D)global warming

Question 16

The Ring of Fire is famous among geologists because

A)80% of earthquakes occur here.
B)90% of earthquakes and 75% of the world's volcanoes occur here.
C)55% of the world's volcanoes occur here.
D)75% of the world's hurricanes occur here.

Question 17

Moving toward the poles, climate becomes

A)warmer.
B)colder.
C)wetter.
D)more tropical.

Question 18

Scientists agree that global warming

A)will cause the extinction of the human race.
B)will promote ecological diversity because many new habitats will be created.
C)will make Denver more rainy and Athens more windy.
D)is occurring.

Question 19

What do glaciers do in an ice age?

A)They move faster toward the sea.
B)They cover the entire Earth.
C)They advance toward the equator.
D)They become more dense.

Question 20

Scientists can predict that earthquakes will occur in a certain area within a timeframe of

A)3 to 6 months.
B)2 to 5 years.
C)30 to 100 years.
D)1 to 500 years.

Question 21

Which of these subjects is most important for understanding the root cause of earthquakes?

A)Chemistry
B)Physics
C)Biology
D)Math

Question 22

The most destructive earthquake waves are

A)S-waves.
B)P-waves.
C)aftershock waves.
D)waves traveling from foci deep in Earth's interior.

Question 23

How do trees counteract global warming?

A)They are carbon sinks, taking carbon dioxide out of the air.
B)They shade Earth's surface.
C)They produce oxygen.
D)They transpire water vapor into the air.

Question 24

Which of these is an example of global warming?

A)a record-breaking high temperature in Iowa on a certain day in August
B)a measurement of carbon dioxide that is higher than all previous measurements
C)a year with more extreme weather incidents than average
D)a higher average frequency of hurricanes over a period of 30 years

Question 25

Why does sea level rise when climate warms?

A)Glaciers melt.
B)Water expands.
C)both of these
D)neither of these

Question 26

Where do the strongest earthquakes occur?

A)at strike-slip faults
B)at divergent plate boundaries
C)at subduction zones
D)along transform plate boundaries

Question 27

Geologists measure earthquakes on the moment magnitude scale. This scale measures

A)the amount that the ground shakes during an earthquake.
B)the Richter magnitude of an earthquake.
C)the depth of the earthquake focus.
D)the energy released by an earthquake.

Question 28

Which of the following is not something that erupts from composite volcanoes?

A)toxic gas
B)fast-moving mudflows called lahars
C)pyroclastics
D)thin, silica-rich lava you could probably outrun

Question 29

How does burning fossil fuels impact Earth's climate?

A)It cools the climate by exhausting oxygen into the air.
B)It warms the climate by increasing atmospheric water vapor.
C)It warms the climate by increasing greenhouse gas emission.
D)It does not affect Earth's climate.

Question 30

A hurricane rotates about its eye, which is a(n)

A)rainstorm.
B)turbulent area of high pressure.
C)calm area of low pressure.
D)area of high moisture.

Question 31

Composite volcanoes erupt explosively. What kind of magma do you conclude that composite volcanoes must contain?

A)magma that is mostly liquid
B)thick, sticky magma rich in solids and gas
C)ancient magma
D)magma made of cement

Question 32

We say that Earth's current climate is now in a(n)________ because glaciers cover high latitudes. We further say that it is in a(n)________ because the glaciers have melted mostly back to the poles.

A)interglacial period; tropical climate
B)ice age; glacial period
C)ice age; interglacial period
D)glacial period, interglacial period

Question 33

What is one reason that modern cities are warmer than rural areas?

A)Concrete retains heat better than vegetation.
B)Cities contain more species of plants and animals.
C)Cities are closer to water.
D)There is more evaporation from city streets than from rock and soil.

Question 34

An earthquake measures 5.0 on the Richter scale. Therefore

A)the ground shakes 10 times as much as it does during a magnitude 4.0 earthquake.
B)10 times as much energy is released as during a magnitude 4.0 earthquake.
C)10 times as much damage is done to buildings as there is in a magnitude 4.0 earthquake.
D)The earthquake is 10 times deeper compared to a 6.0 earthquake.

Question 35

Why are the beautiful beaches that rim the Pacific Ocean among the most geologically risky locations to live?

A)Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur there.
B)If sea levels rise in the future as predicted, beach locations will be flooded.
C)Most tsunami occur there.
D)all of the above

Question 36

Which of these is the greatest hazard?

A)Mauna Loa
B)Mt. St. Helens
C)global warming
D)The San Andreas Fault

Question 37

What kind of volcano erupts runny lava?

A)cinder cone
B)composite
C)shield
D)basaltic

Question 38

A seismometer is most like a

A)thermometer.
B)pendulum.
C)clock.
D)measuring cup.

Question 39

A catastrophic earthquake is one with a magnitude over 9.0. It has strong effects over areas thousands of miles in diameter. Catastrophic earthquakes are recorded about once every

A)month.
B)2 years.
C)20 years.
D)500 years.

Question 40

Volcanic island chains forms over hot spots when the

A)hot spot travels.
B)tectonic plate carrying the volcanoes travels over the stationary hot spot.
C)hot spot expands.
D)all of these

Question 41

Is there a relationship between human population growth and geologic hazards? If so, explain. Be specific in your answer and give examples.

Question 42

A fault zone that is known for a lot of big and small earthquakes goes suddenly quiet for 10 years. This quiet period in an otherwise active fault zone is called a seismic gap. Explain why seismic gaps are pretty good indicators that an area may soon have a moderate or large earthquake.

Question 43

If people continue to cut down forests and burn fossil fuels at increasing rates, what will happen to Earth's climate?

Question 44

A large volcano sits in Eastern California in a popular vacation area. This volcano erupted catastrophically in prehistoric times. The area was geologically quiet for thousands of years. However, changes have occurred in recent decades. Many small earthquakes have been recorded, the volcano is releasing carbon dioxide gas, and its flanks are swelling. Scientists estimate from these observations that there is a 1 in 6 chance that the volcano will erupt at any time.
1. Should disaster officials warn the public? If so, what's the best way to explain the risk?
2. Should the area be evacuated?
3. What are some consequences of warning the public?
4. What are some consequences of not warning the public?

Question 45

What is the primary mechanism by which plants protect climate?

A)They take oxygen out of the air for respiration.
B)They take carbon dioxide out of the air during photosynthesis.
C)They emit water vapor into the air during transpiration.
D)They lower the air temperature by absorbing heat.

Question 46

Why are the New Madrid exceptional in the history of major earthquakes?

A)The New Madrid earthquakes were the largest earthquakes in history, as measured by the Richter Scale.
B)They occurred along a transform boundary.
C)They occurred far away from tectonic plate boundaries.
D)They occurred as a series of earthquakes and aftershocks.

Question 47

Why is global warming expected to increase the frequency and severity of hurricanes?

A)Global warming is likely to increase the rate of terrestrial radiation.
B)Global warming is likely to increase the rate of evaporation of ocean water.
C)Global warming is likely to increase the latent heat of water vapor.
D)Global warming is likely to decrease the total amount of water in the oceans.

Question 48

A tsunami breached the 40-foot seawall at the Daiichi nuclear power plant in Honshu, Japan in 2011. What was the disastrous result?

A)a leak of radioactivity from the power plant
B)a nuclear explosion
C)thermal pollution
D)a tidal wave that washed away buildings along the shore

Question 49

Describe what hurricanes are, were they originate, how they grow, and how they die.

Question 50

Cite the evidence that Earth's climate is warming due to human activities.

Question 51

Hurricanes die over land because they

A)no longer generate energy by the condensation of water vapor.
B)experience friction with the land surface.
C)cannot absorb enough water vapor to sustain their mass.
D)cannot travel long distances.

Question 52

Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. Why is it not a concern regarding climate change?

A)Water vapor is dense and settles low in the troposphere.
B)There is a low concentration of water vapor in air.
C)Greenhouse gases do not affect the climate.
D)The rate of precipitation balances the rate of evaporation of water.