Natural Hazards Exam #2
- 1.
Which of the following (a-d) is false about earthquakes? They ...
- A.
Occur in brittle materials
- B.
Generally follow the Elastic Rebound Theory
- C.
Get larger by generating more high frequency (short period) waves.
- D.
Are a major potential hazard for Seattle, Washington (Pacific Northwest).
- E.
Are all of the above (i.e., all of the above are true).
Correct Answer
C. Get larger by generating more high frequency (short period) waves. -
- 2.
Earthquakes generally occur in the crust (or the upper part of the lithosphere). Why?
- A.
A. Earthquakes can only occur very near the surface of the Earth.
- B.
B. The rocks of the crust are ductile.
- C.
C. The mantle and lower lithosphere are fluid.
- D.
D. The rocks of the mantle are brittle.
- E.
E. For some other reason; i.e., none of the above describe the situation.
Correct Answer
A. A. Earthquakes can only occur very near the surface of the Earth. -
- 3.
Which of the following (a-d) is true about surface waves? They ...
- A.
A. travel faster than P waves.
- B.
B. can have high amplitudes and accelerations.
- C.
C. can cause considerable damage by shaking things vertically.
- D.
D. are also called S-waves.
- E.
E. none of the above are true.
Correct Answer
B. B. can have high amplitudes and accelerations. -
- 4.
You are a city planner trying to determine how building codes may need to vary within your community. A modest earthquake occurs nearby. You want to obtain …
- A.
A. an intensity map to see how big the earthquake was.
- B.
B. an intensity map to see what parts of the city had more damage.
- C.
C. a magnitude map to see where the damage was the greatest.
- D.
D. a magnitude map to measure shaking.
- E.
E. None of the above are useful.
Correct Answer
B. B. an intensity map to see what parts of the city had more damage. -
- 5.
Intensity scales are based on _____(1)_____ while traditional magnitude scales are calculated from ___(2)_____.
- A.
A. (1) energy; (2) ground motion
- B.
B. (1) damage; (2) energy
- C.
C. (1) energy; (2) damage
- D.
D. (1) ground motion; (2) acceleration
- E.
E. (1) damage; (2) ground motion
Correct Answer
E. E. (1) damage; (2) ground motion -
- 6.
A news reporter calls you about an magnitude 6 earthquake that occurred near Lexington, Kentucky. You are the operator of a seismic station at MSU. He asks, “What was the intensity there in Lansing?” Your reply should be:
- A.
A. “I barely felt the ground shake so it was probably 2 or 3.”
- B.
B. “I’ll have to check the seismograph and calculate the moment first.”
- C.
C. “Magnitude and intensity generally have the same value, so 6”
- D.
D. “Intensity is measured at the source, and a lot of damage occurred there, so I guess about an 8.”
- E.
E. “It’s really large on the seismograph, probably a 7.”
Correct Answer
A. A. “I barely felt the ground shake so it was probably 2 or 3.” -
- 7.
A magnitude 9 earthquake (for example, Tohoku, Japan) has __(1)__ times the ground movement and about ___(2)___ times the energy of a magnitude 7 earthquake (for example, Christchurch, New Zealand) a. (1) 2; (2) 32 b (1) 32; (2) 10 c. (1) 10; (2) 32 d. (1) 100; (2) 1000 e. (1) 1000; (2) 100
- A.
A. (1) 2; (2) 32
- B.
B (1) 32; (2) 10
- C.
C. (1) 10; (2) 32
- D.
D. (1) 100; (2) 1000
- E.
E. (1) 1000; (2) 100
Correct Answer
D. D. (1) 100; (2) 1000 -
- 8.
You are buying a house in Los Angeles, but cannot afford earthquake insurance. All other things being equal, which of the following (a-d) will probably have the best chance of surviving a moderate (say M 6.5-7) earthquake? A ... a. southwestern style house made of adobe (clay and mortar). b. wooden shack overlooking the coast. c. single story brick house. d. single story wooden frame house. e. prefabricated concrete slab house.
- A.
A. southwestern style house made of adobe (clay and mortar).
- B.
B. wooden shack overlooking the coast.
- C.
C. single story brick house.
- D.
D. single story wooden frame house.
- E.
E. prefabricated concrete slab house.
Correct Answer
D. D. single story wooden frame house. -
- 9.
9. Seismology has played a critical part in monitoring nuclear proliferation. How have the societal needs of nuclear test monitoring changed since the end of the cold war and into the 21st century? The primary objective is now to identify (1)___ explosions in largely seismically ____(2) areas.
- A.
A. (1) small, (2) active
- B.
B. (1) small, (2) inactive
- C.
C. (1) large, (2) active
- D.
D. (1) large, (2) inactive
- E.
E. none of the above; we can now shut down the monitoring network.
Correct Answer
A. A. (1) small, (2) active -
- 10.
10. Why did the 2011 Tohoku-Kanto (Japan) Earthquake, and specifically its size, come as a surprise?
- A.
A. The plate boundary here was thought to be decoupled, thus only yielding moderate sized earthquakes.
- B.
B. The seismic gap was not very large.
- C.
C. Subduction was not thought to be going on in this area.
- D.
D. There had been no earthquakes rated M 9 in the area in recorded history.
- E.
E. Because of both a and d
Correct Answer
E. E. Because of both a and d -
- 11.
11. Is the motion of the ground in an earthquake greater on loose sediments or on bare rock, and why?
- A.
A. Bare rock, because surface waves travel through it.
- B.
B. Bare rock, because waves are amplified.
- C.
C. Loose sediments, because waves are amplified.
- D.
D. Loose sediments, because S-waves propagate through them.
- E.
E. Neither, they both shake about the same.
Correct Answer
C. C. Loose sediments, because waves are amplified. -
- 12.
12. Which of the following (a-d) is false? Aftershocks of earthquakes …
- A.
A. can continue for months or even years.
- B.
b. define the approximate area of the fault that ruptured (or broke).
- C.
C. generally are fairly small – 2 to 4 magnitudes or more smaller than the main shock.
- D.
D. represent stress readjustments on the fault plane.
- E.
E. are all of the above.
Correct Answer
C. C. generally are fairly small – 2 to 4 magnitudes or more smaller than the main shock. -
- 13.
13. Dilatancy is the principle behind most short-term earthquake prediction proposals. What is dilatancy? The ...
- A.
A. stretching of the crust.
- B.
B. formation of small cracks under stress.
- C.
C. increase of stress in rocks.
- D.
D. movement of magma underground.
- E.
E. none of the above
Correct Answer
B. B. formation of small cracks under stress. -
- 14.
Suppose you are the earthquake preparations manager for Hamamatsu, Japan. You discover that destructive earthquakes have struck your area in the years and magnitudes shown in the table. Based on this limited data, what is your best estimate of when the next earthquake to strike, and how big will it be? Year Size 855 8.1 1047 8.0 1204 6.3 1404 7.9 1606 7.9 1753 5.9 1957 7.8
- A.
A. About 2050 with a magnitude of about 6.
- B.
B. About 2100 with a magnitude of about 8.
- C.
C. About 2100 with a magnitude of about 6.
- D.
D. About 2150 with a magnitude of about 8.
- E.
E. About 2150 with a magnitude of about 6
Correct Answer
D. D. About 2150 with a magnitude of about 8. -
- 15.
15. How do seismic gaps relate to earthquake forecasting? A seismic gap is …
- A.
A. a region where earthquakes do not occur.
- B.
B. a region where a large earthquake has not occurred in a long time.
- C.
C. a fault along which creep movements occur.
- D.
D. a region whose seismic moment has passed.
- E.
E. none of the above.
Correct Answer
B. B. a region where a large earthquake has not occurred in a long time. -
- 16.
What type of fault is shown by this diagram?
- A.
Normal
- B.
Reverse
- C.
Strike-slip
- D.
Transform
- E.
None of the above
Correct Answer
B. Reverse -
- 17.
17. Animals and earthquakes:
- A.
A. No direct cause and effect relationship has been demonstrated between animals and earthquakes.
- B.
B. Fish behavior is a good predictor of earthquakes.
- C.
C. Cats and dogs (and other mammal pets) run away more frequently prior to earthquakes.
- D.
D. Many different kinds of animals have been well documented to predict earthquakes.
- E.
E. c and d are both true.
Correct Answer
A. A. No direct cause and effect relationship has been demonstrated between animals and earthquakes. -
- 18.
18. Why is there concern that a large Midwestern earthquake could be very damaging? Earthquakes in the Midwest …
- A.
A. are felt over a greater area because energy travels farther.
- B.
B. are generally larger than elsewhere.
- C.
C. have more horizontal vibrations.
- D.
D. have bigger fault displacements (movement).
- E.
E. are both a and b.
Correct Answer
A. A. are felt over a greater area because energy travels farther. -
- 19.
19. The Pacific Northwest is now thought to have been the site of a M 9.0 earthquake in 1700. This is based on all of the below (a-d) except …
- A.
A. Native American legends.
- B.
B. tsunami records in northeast Japan.
- C.
C. dating of dead trees in the Seattle area.5
- D.
D. discovery of tsunami sand deposits.
- E.
E. All of the above were used to reach this conclusion
Correct Answer
E. E. All of the above were used to reach this conclusion -
- 20.
20. Which of the following (a-d) is most likely to improve earthquake resistance in buildings?
- A.
A. vertical support rods
- B.
B. inflexible joints
- C.
C. cross-bracing
- D.
D. construction on sandy soils
- E.
E. none of the above will help
Correct Answer
C. C. cross-bracing -
- 21.
21. Resonance is a major factor in the collapse of buildings. What is resonance? It is when ...
- A.
A. a building is shaken very quickly
- B.
B. earthquakes shake buildings at a frequency that causes them to sway more.
- C.
C. water weakens the ground causing it to vibrate more.
- D.
D. the acceleration exceeds a critical value.
- E.
E. something else happens (i.e., none of the above).
Correct Answer
B. B. earthquakes shake buildings at a frequency that causes them to sway more. -
- 22.
22. How are tsunamis different from normal water waves? Tsunami waves ...
- A.
A. involve movement of the entire water layer, while wind only affects the top of the ocean.
- B.
B. involve the movement of the top 200 meters (125 feet) of the water layer, while wind only affects the top 10 or 20 meters (6 to 12 feet).
- C.
C. involve the movement of the bottom of the water layer, except when they reach shore.
- D.
D. primarily move up and down, while water waves move side to side.
- E.
E. are due to tides.
Correct Answer
A. A. involve movement of the entire water layer, while wind only affects the top of the ocean. -
- 23.
23. Which of the following (a-d) is the least likely to cause a large tsunami?
- A.
A. A large underwater volcanic eruption.
- B.
B. A large coastal landslide.
- C.
C. An asteroid impact into the ocean.
- D.
D. An underwater strike-slip faulting earthquake.
- E.
E. The collapse of the side of a volcanic island.
Correct Answer
D. D. An underwater strike-slip faulting earthquake. -
- 24.
24. You are vacationing in a major beach resort in Honolulu, Hawaii and you suddenly notice the water recede but you don’t feel an earthquake. You are 20 miles (32 km) from the nearest hills. Your best course of action (if possible) is to ...
- A.
A. get in a car and start driving for the hills.
- B.
B. go out on to the beach as it’s a good time to look at the creatures in the sand.
- C.
C. run for the higher ground.
- D.
D. go to the upper floors of your modern concrete hotel.
- E.
E. find a surfboard – good breaking waves are coming, so try to ride it out.
Correct Answer
D. D. go to the upper floors of your modern concrete hotel. -
- 25.
25. The US and the UN have deployed pressure sensors to detect tsunamis in the deep ocean. Would these have made a difference to towns on the coast of northern Japan in the earthquake last month? Why?
- A.
A. Yes, they would have given ample time for the residents to evacuate.
- B.
B. Maybe, but they would only have given at most 30 minutes warning.
- C.
C. No, since they can only detect a tsunami after it forms, and that would have been too late for much of the Japan coast.
- D.
D. No, they can only detect tsunamis after they have traveled several hours.
- E.
E. Yes, although they can only detect tsunamis that are more than 20 meters high in the open ocean, but in Japan they were higher.
Correct Answer
C. C. No, since they can only detect a tsunami after it forms, and that would have been too late for much of the Japan coast. -
- 26.
26. Which of the following (a-d) is false about mass wasting and mass movements? They ...
- A.
A. can be triggered by infiltration of water.
- B.
B. are almost always very fast.
- C.
C. are often triggered on steep road cuts.
- D.
D. are classified by the nature of movement.
- E.
E. are all of the above (i.e., all of the above are true).
Correct Answer
B. B. are almost always very fast. -
- 27.
27. How does water generally reduce slope stability? It does so by …
- A.
A. making surfaces slippery.
- B.
B. encouraging plants to grow.
- C.
C. increasing pore pressure forcing grains and cracks apart.
- D.
D. dissolving all kinds of rocks.
- E.
E. none of the above.
Correct Answer
C. C. increasing pore pressure forcing grains and cracks apart. -
- 28.
Thought question: Based on what you have learned about slope stability … Suppose you are working for the Peace Corps in Southeast Asia. You are helping to build houses on the slopes of a mountain. Because the slope is too steep, you are digging flat areas into the hillside and covering the cut with concrete bricks. To minimize landslide dangers the brick wall must…
- A.
A. be solid.
- B.
B. be light weight.
- C.
C. be steep.
- D.
D. allow for water drainage.
- E.
E. be both a and c.
Correct Answer
D. D. allow for water drainage. -
- 29.
Volcanic eruptions can benefit civilization by ...
- A.
A. providing new nutrients in the ash.
- B.
B. warming the climate.
- C.
C. erupting beneficial gasses.
- D.
D. all of the above.
- E.
E. none of the above
Correct Answer
A. A. providing new nutrients in the ash. -
- 30.
You are climbing a volcano with a steep slope. You should (ideally) ...
- A.
A. be hiking on dark colored rocks.
- B.
B. expect to see lots of lava flows.
- C.
C. expect very explosive eruptions.
- D.
D. a and b.
- E.
E. all of the above.
Correct Answer
C. C. expect very explosive eruptions. -
- 31.
What can you say about a volcano that has eruptions that rate high on the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI)? They ...
- A.
A. erupt a silica poor magma.
- B.
B. occur above subduction zones.
- C.
C. erupt a high viscosity magma.
- D.
D. are both b and c.
- E.
E. are all of the above
Correct Answer
D. D. are both b and c. -
- 32.
Which of the following is the most viscous (highest viscosity) material?
- A.
A. water
- B.
B. toothpaste
- C.
C. oil
- D.
D. wood
- E.
E. rocks
Correct Answer
E. E. rocks -
- 33.
Which of the following (a-d) is false about volcanoes and plate tectonic settings?
- A.
A. Violently erupting volcanoes are found in continental “hot spots.”
- B.
B. Gently erupting volcanoes are found in divergent plate margins.
- C.
C. Transform boundaries have almost no volcanoes.
- D.
D. Violent eruptions are also associated with most oceanic “hot spots.”
- E.
E. All of the above are true.
Correct Answer
D. D. Violent eruptions are also associated with most oceanic “hot spots.” -
- 34.
You get a job as a geologist and you discover an extremely thick layer of ash that is very high in silica. The most likely origin for this is a …
- A.
A. oceanic hot spot volcano.
- B.
B. subduction zone volcano.
- C.
C. mid-ocean ridge volcano.
- D.
D. transform fault volcano.
- E.
E. continental hot spot volcano.
Correct Answer
E. E. continental hot spot volcano. -
- 35.
Which of the following (a-d) is false about volcanic hazards?
- A.
A. Lava flows can sometimes be stopped or diverted.
- B.
B. Volcanic gas can be a silent (i.e., leaves no obvious trace) killer.
- C.
C. Native legends often record volcanic eruptions.
- D.
D. Lahars are common in tropical climates.
- E.
E. All of the above are true
Correct Answer
E. E. All of the above are true -
- 36.
36. Suppose you are a commercial airline pilot that accidentally flies into an ash cloud from a volcano. You should ...
- A.
A. increase engine power so you can fly out of the cloud.
- B.
B. cut all engine power and try to glide to a landing.
- C.
C. decrease engine power to prevent ash from melting inside your engines.
- D.
D. increase engine power so you can get to a higher altitude.
- E.
E. do both a and d.
Correct Answer
C. C. decrease engine power to prevent ash from melting inside your engines. -
- 37.
37. Why does dilatancy occur in volcanoes?
- A.
A. There is a lot of hot gas that stresses the Earth.
- B.
B. Gas bubbles pop within the magma.
- C.
C. There is bubbling water moving around in the rock.
- D.
D. There is magma moving and collecting underground.
- E.
E. Some other cause not listed here (i.e., none of the above)
Correct Answer
D. D. There is magma moving and collecting underground. -
- 38.
The tilt (angle) of the side of a volcano ...
- A.
A. increases prior to an eruption because the mountain gets hot and expands.
- B.
B. decreases prior to an eruption as the magma gets ready to explode.
- C.
C. decreases prior to an eruption because of increased dilatancy.
- D.
D. increases prior to an eruption as magma collects beneath the mountain.
- E.
E. doesn’t change prior to an eruption.
Correct Answer
D. D. increases prior to an eruption as magma collects beneath the mountain. -
- 39.
Of the following, the most useful in minimizing casualties and losses from an explosive volcano is ...
- A.
A. setting up seismometers on the volcano.
- B.
B. building dams in valleys.
- C.
C. plugging the crater.
- D.
D. checking for radon emissions.
- E.
E. none of the above.
Correct Answer
A. A. setting up seismometers on the volcano. -
- 40.
40. What types of faulting would you expect from large, subduction zone earthquakes? a. reverse b. thrust c. strike-slip d. normal e. transform
- A.
A) reverse
- B.
B) thrust
- C.
C) strike-slip
- D.
D) normal
- E.
E) transform
Correct Answer
B. B) thrust -
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