What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is the movement of the Earth’s crust caused by pieces of the crust suddenly shifting at faults, or cracks in the Earth.
What exactly is a tornado?
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air between a cloud and Earth, touching both.
How are Hurricane Names Chosen?
Most storm names are taken from a permanent list that rotates every 6 years.
What causes floods?
Flooding occurs in known floodplains when prolonged rainfall over several days.
What is a volcanic crater feature?
A volcanic crater is a generally circular shaped depression.
What are asftershocks?
Aftershocks are earthquakes
If there is one tornado, are there likely to be more?
Tornadoes can come one at a time or in clusters, and they can vary greatly in length, width, direction of travel, and speed.
Just what is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a tropical storm with winds that have reached a constant speed
What is a recurrence interval?
This means that a flood of that magnitude has a 1 in 100 chance of occuring in any year.
How does a volcano erupt?
A volcano erupts when pressure on the magma chamber causes the magma to rise and come out together with gas, rocks and ashes.
Where was the largest-magnitude earthquake in the 50 states?
The strongest recorded earthquake in the United States was near Prince William Sound, Alaska
Is a twister the same as a tornado?
Is a twister the same as a tornado?
Is a hurricane the same as a cyclone?
A hurricane is actually one of three kinds of tropical storms, or cyclones, that circulate over tropical waters.
Does a 100-year storm always cause a 100-year flood?
No. Several factors can independently influence the cause-and-effect relation between rainfall and streamflow.
When are volcanoes most likely to erupt?
They can erupt anytime, when magma rises from the mantle and spews out of the volcano.
When was the largest-magnitude?
on March 27, 1964
Where do the most tornadoes occur?
Canada, tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico, and dry air from the Southwest to clash in the middle of the country, producing thunderstorms and the tornadoes they spawn.
How is tropical weather classified?
Tropical cyclones are classified as follows.
Can two "100-year floods" occur within several years or even within the same year?
Yes, although if "100-year floods" started occurring each year.
What does a Super volcano look like?
Super volcano's are five times bigger than normal volcanos. There is one in Yellowstone, if you want an example of one.
How many people died in the largest-magnitude?
131 people died
Is there a tornado season?
The combination of conditions that cause tornadoes is common across the southern United States in the early spring.
How are hurricanes classified and what are hurricane categories?
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane’s present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall.
How is peak flow determined?
Stream stage (or water level) and streamflow (or discharge) are measured at locations called streamflow gaging stations.
Where is the earth's crust do most volcanoes erupt?
well mostly along plate boundarys but there can be "hot spots" in the mantle that magma come out of. for ex:hawii is right over a hot spot.