Natural Hazards and Minimizing Damage
Earthquakes
Vocabulary
Volcanoes
Water Hazards
100
What is a natural hazard?
Any extreme event caused by natural processes
100
What is a fault?
Faults are locations where two plates rub against each other.
100

Tsunami

What is an extremely large wave.

100

Molten rock inside the Earth that is about to become lava.

Magma?

100

What are 2 ways a tsunami can form?

Earthquakes or underwater volcanoes.

200
Can natural hazards be prevented?
No
200
Would a strong earthquake have a high rating or a low rating on the Richter scale?
A high rating
200

Landslide

The sliding rock and soil down a slope.

200

True or false: A volcanic eruption only affects people a few miles away from the volcano itself.

False: The hot ash/gas cloud can be pushed by the wind and affect areas hundreds/thousands of miles away.

200

Hurricanes are not only dangerous because of flooding. What are 2 additional hazards that hurricanes can cause?

High winds can damage buildings; storm surges or tsunamis can damage where they first impact the shore.

300

Give two ways that damage from natural hazards be reduced or prevented.

Build a temporary wall; board up your home; evacuate the area; divert the river or road; preventative brush burns; etc.

300
When plates suddenly move, what type of energy do they release?
Kinetic energy
300

Outcome

The result of something

300

What are at least 2 of the threats created by volcanoes?

Examples: lava, hot ash, gas cloud, flying debris, fire, etc.

300

How does wave height change as a tsunami approaches land?

The wave slows down and grows bigger

400

Building a house on stilts is a way to reduce damage from this type of natural hazard?

A flood.

400

When do earthquakes occur?

Earthquakes occur when plates that were stuck suddenly move (become unstuck).

400

Drought

An extended period of little to no precipitation in an area.

400

Volcanoes are often found along the edges of this feature of the Earth.

Tectonic plates.

400

How do hurricanes begin?

Over warm ocean water. Warm, moist air over the ocean rises and is replaced by cooler air, which heats and rises. Huge storm clouds form that carry massive amounts of rain.
500

Planting trees along hillsides helps prevent this type of natural hazard.

A landslide.

500

When plates get stuck, what type of energy do they store?

Potential energy

500

Avalanche

The sudden sliding of snow, ice, and rock down a slope.

500

This region in the Pacific Ocean has volcanoes that surround it.

The Ring of Fire.

500

When an earthquake under the ocean begins to form a tsunami, what direction do the waves move?

They move in all directions away from the source of the earthquake.