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GOPH 375 > #2 - Natural Disasters and Climate Change > Flashcards

#2 - Natural Disasters and Climate Change Flashcards

1
Q

West Texas earthquake withs hypocentres of less than 10 km depth occurred this semester - why might we associate this seismicity with oil-field production.

A

production facilities near epicentres; oil production seismicity associated with fluid injection at about 4 km

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2
Q

As a magma cools, which of these is the correct sequence of mineralization?

A

OPABQ - Olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, biotite-mica, Quartz

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3
Q

Rocks melts if _________.

A
  • Water content increases
  • Pressure decreases
  • Temperature increases
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4
Q

__________ is a rough volcanic landform.

A

aa ( vs. Pahoehoe are smooth ropy rock from highly liquid lava)

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5
Q

Pyroclastic debris is _________.

A

flying lava chunks and rocks

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6
Q

T/F Decreasing the pressure on hot rock generates magma.

A

True

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7
Q

The volcanic process in this image from Italy is best described as a __________.

A

Lahar

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8
Q

Which of these decrease within a rising plume of subduction-zone magma?

A

viscosity

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9
Q

What shape describes the most important mineral building block made of Si and O2.

A

tetrahedron

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10
Q

Tsunami amplitudes of less than _________ occur in the open ocean.

A

1 m (Reason being the depth of ocean floor, massive wavelength and the great volume of water + energy associated with that tsunami)

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11
Q

T/F According to our viewing of the NOAA hurricane tracker, the Atlantic hurricane season is winding down.

A

True (Atlantic basin hurricane season is June 1 - Nov 30 according to NOAA)

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12
Q

Earth’s equatorial regions receive about _________ times as much solar energy as its polar regions.

A

2.4

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13
Q

The disastrous earthquake and aftershocks in __________ were knocked out of the news cycle (news items in reliable sources) due to the current middle-east war. The __________ men’s cricketers, very surprisingly, beat Pakistan this week.

A

Afghanistan

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14
Q

The fraction of solar energy reflected back to space due to Earth’s cloudiness or snow and ice cover is known as _________.

A

Albedo

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15
Q

What two physical characteristics govern tsunami wave speed?

A

gravitational acceleration; ocean depth

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16
Q

Detailed mapping of the ocean bottom around the Hawaiian Islands revealed a previously unrecognized tsunami source. What did geologists discover on the seafloor in this area?

A

slumps and debris avalanches formed by volcanic flank collapse

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17
Q

Which of these is true?
a. There is no causal relationship between volcanoes and tsunami
b. Large tsunami often trigger volcanic eruptions
c. Volcanic eruptions only cause tsunami by erupting underwater
d. Volcanic eruptions can trigger tsunami

A

D. Volcanic eruptions can trigger tsunami

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18
Q

A portion of short-wavelength solar radiation absorbed at Earth’s surface gets re-radiated at lower frequency and absorbed in the atmosphere. This process is known as _________.

A

Greenhouse effect

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19
Q

The 2004 _________ Ocean tsunami killed an estimated 245,000 people in 13 countries.

A

Indian ocean

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20
Q

The largest tsunami have wavelengths approaching __________.

A

1000 km

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21
Q

A __________ is the sloping surface between air masses of different temperature and humidity.

A

front

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22
Q

During the drive from from Edmonton to Calgary, we must steer _________ slightly to oppose the __________ effect.

A

left; Coriolis
(In Northern hemisphere, the Coriolis effect will slightly deflect (x) to the right due to the natural rotation of the Earth. Includes air masses and fluids.)

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23
Q

Hurricane _________ escaped our notice last week. This storm transitioned from a tropical storm to a hurricane __________ ever recorded.

A

Otis; In the shortest time

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24
Q

Changing a solid to a gas without passing through a liquid stage is called _________.

A

Sublimation

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25
Q

Change from Gas to Liquid is called _________

A

Condensation

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26
Q

The _________are the two main jet streams in each hemisphere.

A

Polar and subtropical

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27
Q

When water vapour condenses it _________.

deposition route

A

Releases latent heat

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28
Q

Winds cross perpendicular to isobar lines due to which force?

A

Pressure gradient

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29
Q

Seasonal weather change is not as great in the Southern Hemisphere relative to the Northern Hemisphere because __________.

A

Due to the Southern oceans Hemisphere’s Hadley cells are only weakly developed

The southern hemisphere’s Hadley cells are only weakly developed

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30
Q

Deep-ocean waters distribute heat and salt around the world by _________.

A

Thermohaline flow

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31
Q

Within the eye of a well-developed hurricane _________.

A

air sinks and warms

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32
Q

Winds in a hurricane are strongest _________.

A

In the eye wall

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33
Q

Which of these is not part of the basic sequence within a lightning strike?
1. a dim, negatively charged stream of electrons propagates downward prior to the strike
2. Identical-polarity charges on the ground form beneath the storm

A
  1. Identical-polarity charges on the ground form beneath the storm
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34
Q

A Saffir-Simpson Scale 5 hurricane has _________ wind speeds relative to a hurricane rated 1 on the same scale.
Highest or lowest: Pressure

A

the highest pressure and highest

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35
Q

_________ cause the __________ associated with a lightning strike.

A

Shock waves due to the explosive expansion of gasses; thunder

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36
Q

__________ is a late season hurricane that formed in the Eastern Pacific a few days after __________ caused __________ in Acapulco, Mexico.

A

Pilar;Otis;Widespread flooding

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37
Q

Tornadoes occur along the collision zone between _________.

A

a cold front and a high-energy warm air mass

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37
Q

What are the 3 requirements for hail to form?

A
  1. large thunderstorms with buoyant hot air rise from heated ground
  2. Upper-level cold air create maximum temperature contrasts
  3. Strong updrafts to keep hailstones suspended while adding coatings of ice onto ever-growing cores
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38
Q

The Enhanced Fujita Scale ranks _________.

A

tornadoes based on estimated maximum wind speed.

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39
Q

Enhanced Fujita Scale vs the Mercalli intensity scale vs Safire simpson

A

EJS - Is used to record tornado intensity and damage done using ‘objective’ measuring of wind speed.
Mercalli intensity scale - is used to measure earthquake intensity using ‘subjective’ tools such as damages to the building, residences and overall impact.
Safire simpson - Records hurricane (cyclone) damage

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40
Q

Hurricanes rotate in a _________ around a central core in the Northern Hemisphere.

A

Counter clockwise (Clockwise in southern)

41
Q

T/F A typhoon is more like a tornado than a hurricane.

A

False

42
Q

The beautiful tone and sustain of a violin made in the late 1600s by Stradavari might correspond to denser wood grown during the 70-year _________.

A

Maunder Minimum

43
Q

_________ causes the longest period Milankovitch cycle.

A

Eccentricity

44
Q

T/F - Reef building stores the present day 18O/16O ratio of seawater within the CaCO3 shell walls built by reel-loving bugs. Over time, therefore, reefs capture the history of ocean temperature.

A

True

45
Q

T/F - Hurricanes begin with an Arctic disturbance - a low-pressure system drawing in a poorly organized cluster of thunderstorms.

A

False

Explanation - They begin with a tropical disturbance (5 deg. N & S)

46
Q

The Little Ice Age affecting Europe between 1,400 and 1,900 CE __________ the average annual temperature globally by about __________ and corresponds to crop failure, famine, and war in quantities significantly larger than during previous and subsequent eras.

A

Lowered; 1 C

47
Q

T/F - Methane hydrate melting might result in significant global warming.

A

True

48
Q

Which of these is the worst (and, thankfully, least abundant) greenhouse gas?
nitrous oxide (N2O)
chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
carbon dioxide (CO2)
methane (CH4)
ozone (O3)

A

chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
(Harmful in global warming; greenhouse effect; depletion of ozone; Montreal protocol attempts to reduce/eliminate use of CFC)

49
Q

Hurricane storm surge in the Northern hemisphere is greatest on which part of the tropical cyclone?

A

Right-side front

50
Q

Wind-speed on the western side of a tropical cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere is __________.

A

Speed of the storm body minus the wind speed.
(Western side also considered the weaker side of the storm vs. East)

51
Q

Plinian eruptions can cool the climate slightly for a few years because _________.

A

highly reflective sulphuric acid and fine ash persist just below the tropopause

52
Q

Which of these is a failure mode for a levee?
The blues scale in D
A shorted circuit
Subsurface erosion
An over-salted crawfish etouffee

A

subsurface erosion

53
Q

The temporal interval in this Figure between the peak rain event and the peak discharge is the __________.

A

Time lag

54
Q

Q.3 - Quiz 10. What does the diagram suggest?

A

It suggests that structures in the Urban landscape that allow water to easily flow away lead to shorter floods. Hydrographs

55
Q

The Icelandic-origin word for large and abrupt releases of water related to glaciation is __________.

A

jokulhlaup

56
Q

Why does Winnipeg have a floodway?

A

fast snow-melt and flat topography flood the Red River frequently

57
Q

T/F - When a flood crest passes downstream, stream level falls more rapidly than it rose.

A

False

58
Q

Why is duff at the base of a tree a greater fire hazard than the tree itself?

A

the continuous duff layer in a forest spreads fire from one tree to the rest

59
Q

Environment Canada measures all but __________ for flood mitigation.

water velocity
oxygen isotope ratios
water depth
channel width

A

Oxygen isotope ratios

60
Q

If a stream experiences increased discharge, the stream __________.

meanders
floods
decreases the sinuosity of its channel
deposits sediment upstream

A

Deposits sediment upstream? (Explaination - Fast flowing water when entering a still water body decreases in speed and desposits sediment there)

61
Q

__________ is the sudden breakout of a stream from its channel during a flood.

A

Avulsion

62
Q

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a sample of water is referred to as the _________heat.

Midterm start**

A

Specific

63
Q

Rotating winds pull air molecules into a tighter and tighter spiral increasing wind speeds due to the conservation of _________.

A

Angular momentum

64
Q

T/F Coastlines during low tide suffer worse storm surge during hurricanes.

A

False

65
Q

The _________are the two main jet streams in each hemisphere.

A

Polar and subtropical

66
Q

As a hurricane forms, converging surface winds meet at the central core, which acts like a chimney sending _________.

A

warm, moist air flowing rapidly upward

67
Q

Winds in a hurricane are strongest _________.

A

in the Eye wall

68
Q

Ascending air at the equator and descending air around 30°N and S latitudes create semicircular air circulation routes known as _________.

A

Hadley cells

69
Q

Our options for limiting climate include reducing the CO2 content of the atmosphere and _________.

A

Managing the solar radiations received by the Earth

70
Q

The theoretical velocity of a tsunami in a z m deep ocean is __________ where g is acceleration due to gravity.

A

Root of g*z (g=gravitational acceleration of gravity, z=ocean depth)

71
Q

Of the choices below, _________ causes the shortest period Milankovitch cycle.

A

Precission

72
Q

T/F - If you are caught outside in a lightning storm, climb a tree and cover your ears with your hands.

A

False

73
Q

The highest wind speeds of any weather phenomenon occur in _________.

A

Tornadoes

74
Q

Some of the greatest damage associated with the 1987 Edmonton tornado outbreak included __________.

A

destruction 100 Evergreen Mobile Home Park trailers and 15 deaths

75
Q

Which of the following conditions is NOT thought to indicate an unusually active hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean?

when storms in the western Sahel region of Africa provide more nuclei for hurricanes
low atmospheric pressure in the Caribbean region
extra randomness in the MilanKovitch Cycles
la Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean
abnormally warm sea-surface temperatures in hurricane forming areas

A

extra randomness in the MilanKovitch Cycles

76
Q

T/F - The average surface temperature on Earth before life was present was much colder than it is now.

A

False (it was much warmer)

77
Q

During the last 7,000 years Earth experienced a _________.

A

2 C lowering of Earth’s average temperature

78
Q

Where do we find most (80%) of the Earth’s carbon dioxide?

A

Limestones

79
Q

Which of these physical characteristics does not govern tsunami wave speed?
gravitational acceleration
phase of the moon
ocean depth

A

Phase of the moon

80
Q

Requirements for a hurricane to develop include all but which of the following?

Seawater with a temperature of at least 27°C in the upper 60 m of the ocean
Air must be unstable, warm, and humid.
The storm must be at least 200 km from the equator.
Weak upper-level winds, preferably blowing in the same direction the developing storm

A

The storm must be at least 200 km from the equator.

81
Q

T/F The atmosphere of Venus is about the same as Earth’s atmosphere.

A

False

82
Q

Which of these is NOT part of the basic sequence within a lightning strike?
a. a dim, negatively charged stream of electrons propagates downward prior to the strike
b. Clouds rub together and create static electricity like your socks on a carpet in winter time

A

b. Clouds rub together and create static electricity like your socks on a carpet in winter time

83
Q

Geologists discovered __________ on the seafloor suggestive of a tsunami risk to Hawaii.

A

slumps and debris avalanches formed by volcanic flank collapse

84
Q

Seasonal fluctuations in temperature and precipitation are less extreme in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere because __________.

A

more of the Southern Hemisphere is covered by ocean

85
Q

The centre of polar jet flows __________ direction at approximately 400 kmph.

A

East

86
Q

Wind-blown waves have _________ relative to tsunami.

A

Short periods and short wavelengths

87
Q

Tsunami amplitudes of less than _________ occur in the open ocean.

A

1 m

88
Q

Hurricane _________ escaped our notice this semester - it transitioned from a tropical storm to a hurricane __________ ever recorded.

A

Otis; in the shortest time

89
Q

Winds speed slows at ground level due to which force?

A

Surface friction

90
Q

Which of the following greenhouse gases is the most efficient at trapping heat (i.e., has the highest global warming potential—GWP)?
ozone (O3)
chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)
nitrous oxide (N2O)
carbon dioxide (CO2)
methane (CH4)

A

chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)

91
Q

The Little Ice Age affecting Europe between 1,400 and 1,900 CE __________ the average annual temperature globally by about __________ and corresponds to crop failure, famine, and war in quantities significantly larger than during previous and subsequent eras.

A

lowered; 1C

92
Q

Regions of coastline lying to the left of the landfall of a tropical cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere you experience __________.

A

Wind speed minus storm motion (Due to the same reason as the western side being weaker)

93
Q

The portion of __________-wavelength solar radiation absorbed at Earth’s surface getting re-radiated at __________ frequency and absorbed in the atmosphere is thought to cause the greenhouse effect.

A

short; lower

94
Q

The most localized, powerful windstorm with cyclonic winds is a _________.

A

Tornadoes

95
Q

During the 20th century, the average global surface temperature rose _________.

A

0.8 C

96
Q

High humidity during a heat wave is particularly bad because _________.

A

the evaporation of sweat is slowed

97
Q

Which of the following does not generate a tsunami?
hurricane
fault movement
meteor impact
volcanic eruption
landslide

A

Hurricane

98
Q

T/F - A building destroyed by a tornado likely lost its roof first.

A

True

99
Q

The largest historic tsunami wave run-up ever recorded was caused by a massive rockfall into the water at_________.

A

Lituya Bay, Alaska

GOPH 375 (4 decks)

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