Practice Exam E270

• Volcanic activity is a function of climate change. 

  False: Geological processes 
• Tornado damage is caused by strong winds. 

  True
• Iceland is located in a subduction zone. 

  False: Located in a divergent plate boundary (mid ocean ridge)
• Seismicity in Iran results from collisional tectonics. 

  True: The earthquakes have resulted from the continental collision between Arabian and Eurasian plates
• Explosive volcanic eruptions are typical of subduction zones.  

  True
• Tornadoes are a major hazard in the Waterloo region.  

  True
• Cyclone shelters are a major component of hurricane hazard mitigation. 

  True
• Red Sea volcanism takes place in a subduction zone. 

  False: The red sea is at a rifting boundary between Arabian and African plates
• Natural disasters are caused by natural hazards. 

  True
• Wildfires are an important natural hazard.  

  True
• Economic losses from natural disasters will be highest in countries with a higher GDP.  

  False
• All tsunamis are caused by earthquakes.  

  False
• The magnitude and frequency of floods is affected by climate change.  

  True
• To be effective against coastal flooding, the design and construction of dykes has to  take into account rising sea levels.   

  True
• Megadeltas are particularly prone to hazards related to sea level rise.  

  True
• The insurance gap is the difference between losses covered by insurance and the losses not covered by insurance.  

  True
• Building damage in Mexico City earthquakes is not related to foundation conditions.  

  False
• The asteroid impact hazard to Earth is characterized by very high probability and  very high consequences.  

  False
• Disasters are more likely when a natural hazard strikes an area of high population density. 

  True
• Building codes are a major mitigation tool to reduce losses in earthquakes. 

  True
• Warning is a key mitigation strategy for earthquakes.  

  True
• The Fujita Scale describes the intensity of hurricanes.  

  False: it is used to describe the strength of tornadoes
• Storm surges are an important secondary hazard of hurricanes.  

  True
• The western North Atlantic spawns the most hurricanes worldwide on an annual basis. 

  True: The Atlantic Hurricane Basin includes the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the open waters of the western North Atlantic Ocean.
• Mortality in heat waves increases dramatically above 25°C.  

  False: threshold for impact on human health is 30-31 °C
• In hurricanes, wind speed is directly related to central air pressure. 

  False
• Catastrophic landslides are associated with velocities of less than 1 m/day.  

  False
• Slumps travel faster than rock avalanches.  

  False
• Primary seismic waves cause most damage in earthquakes.  

  False: Surface waves cause most damage.
• Liquefaction is an important secondary effect of earthquakes.  

  True 
• Indonesia's Semeru volcano continued to erupt in 2022. What is the plate tectonic setting of this eruption?   

   

  -Sunda Arc 

  -Subduction zone; convergent plate boundaries 

  -the subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate along the Sunda Subduction Zone in Indonesia. 
• To what extent do you think that the following statement is correct : "Earthquakes don't  kill people, buildings do." Explain your answer.   

   

  -True; most life loss is caused by building collapse as opposed to the actual earthquake  

  -The secondary effects that earthquakes cause, usually cause the most damage ie. liquefaction, building collapse due to ground shaking. 

  -A lot of these unnecessary casualties/ deaths could have been avoided if there were better building codes enforced and the use of stronger, earthquake resistant materials, and better construction
• Rainfall in Houston in 2017 (Hurricane Harvey) had an estimated return interval of 1000 years. What is the annual frequency of occurrence of this hazard? 

   

  Annual frequency = 1 / Return interval 

  Annual frequency = 1 / 1000 

  Annual frequency ≈ 0.001
• Outline a three-step methodology for assessing the magnitude and temporal frequency of asteroid impacts on Earth. 

  
  

  1. Data Collection. + Analysis 

  -Impact crater inventory- look @ previous asteroid impacts

  -Paleontological evidence 

  -Remote sensing + satellite imagery – to identify potential impact structures not yet visible on the ground 

  2. Statistical Modelling + Analysis 

  -Frequency 

  -Magnitude 

  -Temporal patterns 

  3. Risk Assessment + Mitigation Strategies 

  -Based on frequency + magnitude 

  -Public outreach + education
• Outline a three-component mitigation strategy for the possible tsunami impact on  Canada's Pacific Coast.  

   

  -Preparedness measures- public education/ emergency planning, training 

  -Land use controls- build in areas that are not near tsunami flooding zones 

  -Warning- Deep Ocean assessment+ reporting of tsunamis DART; use buoys + satellites  

  -Evacuation- signs, evacuation maps/plans 

  -Defensive structures- i.e. tsunami walls, tsunami barriers, seawalls, or levees to reduce wave inundation and protect coastal infrastructure.
• What is the name of the intensity scale for hurricanes b) what is the main determinant on hurricane intensity as defined by this scale?  

   Intensity Scale is the Saffir- Simpson Scale for Hurricanes (1-5) and it is based on max sustained wind speed.
• Define the Factor of Safety as used in landslide analysis, b) What does a Factor of  Safety of 1.0 tell us about the stability of a slope?    

  Factor of Safety (FS) in terms of landslide stability analysis, is the ratio of resisting forces (R) to disturbing forces (D). FS= R/D 

  A Factor of Safety of 1.0 indicates that the resisting forces are equal to the driving forces acting on the slope. A Factor of Safety of exactly 1.0 signifies a critical condition where the slope is neither stable or unstable but is in a state of balance between resisting and driving forces.
• Outline three approaches to flood hazard mitigation.  

   

  Constructing artificial levees 

  Building flood control dams 

  Construction of floodways- diverts floodwaters away from population 

  River channelization 

  Non-structural approaches “Floodplain Management”
• Why is there a so-called “hurricane season”?  

   Overall, the concept of a hurricane season is based on a combination of factors related to ocean temperatures, atmospheric conditions, and historical patterns of tropical cyclone activity. The concept of a hurricane season is primarily associated with regions that are prone to tropical cyclone activity, such as the Atlantic Basin, the Eastern Pacific Basin, and the Western Pacific Basin. 
• -Seasonal Changes in Ocean Temperature: Tropical cyclones derive their energy from warm ocean waters. Temperatures reach their warmest levels during the late summer and early fall months