Vocabulary 1
What is the flow of water overland that is usually not covered with water?
flood
What is a fire that burns out of control and can be caused by a lightning strike?
wildfire
What is an enormous rotating storm that develops over warm water?
hurricane
True or False
The Richter scale measures earthquakes on a scale from 1-10.
True
True or False
Tornadoes cannot happen in the United States.
False
What is a series of huge ocean waves that are caused by shifts of land underwater?
tsunami
What is hot, liquid rock that is found deep under the Earth's surface?
magma
Where do most hurricanes develop?
over a warm body of water
lava
What can cause a landslide?
heavy rain or erosion loosens materials
What is the release of volcanic material, like burning lava, that can take minutes, hours, or even longer?
eruption
What is a long period of very dry weather?
drought
When do most hurricanes occur?
summer and fall
Where are volcanoes usually found?
Along the coast
What are the large pieces of rock that make up Earth's outer layer?
tectonic plates
What are shifts within the Earth and a natural way to release stress between Earth's plates?
earthquakes
What is the sliding of rock and soil down a slope?
landslide
What is the calmest part of a hurricane?
the eye
What is the are of the Pacific Ocean that has a lot of volcanic activity?
"Ring of Fire"
What should you do if a tsunami warning is issued?
move inland and get to the highest area of land or the tallest building
What are spinning columns of wind that are extremely dangerous?
tornadoes
What is an opening in Earth's crust that allows super heated materials from beneath the crust to reach the surface?
volcano
What scale measures the intensity of hurricanes?
Saffir-Simpson scale
What scale is used to measure the intensity of an earthquake?
Richter scale
During a landslide, how fast can debris move?
up to 200 mph