vocabulary
This term describes a serious disaster that causes major damage to people or the environment.
What is a catastrophic event?
Tornado
Dark clouds, rotating winds, and a sudden drop in pressure could indicate this severe storm.
Flood
Building levees, dams, and diversions
If an earthquake has a magnitude of 7.5 and occurs under the ocean at a shallow depth, scientists may warn about this secondary hazard.
What is a tsunami?
The area around the Pacific Ocean where most volcanoes occur is called this.
Ring of Fire
Actions taken before or during a disaster to reduce damage.
What is mitigation?
Volcanic Eruption
Rising magma, increased earthquakes, and swelling ground may indicate this event is coming.
wildfire
Creating defensible space by clearing vegetation around homes, firebreaks, no-burn zones
A wildfire is spreading east and the wind is blowing east. Which areas are most at risk?
Areas east/downwind of the fire.
True or False: Earthquakes can be predicted exactly when they happen.
What is false?
A sign or event that happens before a hazard and may indicate something is about to occur.
What is a precursor (indicator)?
Wildfire
Hot temperatures, dry vegetation, and strong winds increase the likelihood of this disaster.
tsunami
Early warning systems and evacuation routes, seawalls
A volcano shows increasing earthquakes, rising magma, and ground deformation. Scientists might predict this event.
What is a volcanic eruption?
Name one catastrophic event that meteorologists can usually predict days in advance.
Hurricane, blizzard, or major storm.
Using data and observations to determine the likelihood of a future event.
What is forecasting/predicting?
Tsunami
Rapid ocean water retreating from shore is often a warning sign of this event.
Earthquakes
Designing buildings with flexible structures, public drills, seismic codes
An area experiencing long periods of extremely low rainfall and dry soil conditions is experiencing this.
What is a drought?
If a tsunami were moving towards you and to your left was a hill, and to your right was a valley, which way are you going to go.
What is to the left, on top of the hill?
A scientific device used to collect data about Earth systems such as weather or tectonic movement.
What is a satellite (or monitoring instrument)?
Hurricanes
warm ocean temperatures and low pressure systems
Hurricanes
boarding windows and evacuating coastal areas, early warning systems
Three events that occur at plate boundaries.
What are earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis?
Name one piece of technology scientists use to monitor catastrophic events
What is Seismograph, satellite, weather radar, etc?