Key Terms: The Challenge of Natural Hazards Practice Questions

Define the term 'natural hazard'.

Which one of the following is a geological (tectonic) hazard? Shade one box only.

• A Drought
• B Tropical storm
• C Volcanic eruption
• D Heatwave

Give two examples of an atmospheric (meteorological) hazard.

Name the features labelled A and B on the diagram.

What is meant by the 'magnitude' of an earthquake?

Define the term 'tsunami'.

Complete the table by writing the correct term next to each definition. Choose from the list below. You will not need all of the terms.

adaptation carbon capture carbon footprint global warming greenhouse effect mitigation

Definition	Term
A Actions taken to reduce the causes of climate change, such as switching to renewable energy
B Changing our behaviour or infrastructure so that we can live with the effects of climate change
C A measurement of the greenhouse gases produced by an individual, product or organisation
D Technology that removes carbon dioxide from power station emissions and stores it underground

What is an 'ice core'?

The calm, clear area of sinking air at the centre of a tropical storm is called the:

• A eyewall
• B eye
• C storm surge
• D pressure belt

Name the part of a tropical storm where the most intense wind and rainfall are found.

Define the term 'storm surge'.

What is meant by 'extreme weather'?

Complete the table by classifying each statement as a primary effect, secondary effect, immediate response or long-term response.

Statement	Classification
A Buildings in the city centre collapsed, killing over 200 people
B Fires spread through a suburb after gas pipes fractured
C Search and rescue teams pulled survivors from the rubble
D The government introduced new building regulations for earthquake-resistant homes

Define the term 'secondary effect'.

Explain the difference between an immediate response and a long-term response to a tectonic hazard.

Complete the sentences below using words from the list. You will not need all of the words.

conservative constructive convection destructive subduction

1. At a __________ plate margin two plates move apart and magma rises to form new crust.
2. Where an oceanic plate meets a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate sinks beneath it in a process called __________.
3. At a __________ plate margin two plates slide past one another and crust is neither created nor destroyed.

What is meant by a 'plate margin'?

Using the term 'convection current', describe how tectonic plates are able to move.

Explain the difference between weather and climate.

Define the term 'prevailing wind'.

Complete the sentences about pressure belts.

At the Equator, air rises and this creates a belt of __________ pressure.

At about $30^\circ$ north and south of the Equator, air sinks and this creates a belt of __________ pressure.

Define the term 'hazard risk'.

Explain the difference between a natural hazard and a natural disaster.

Explain what the geographer means by 'vulnerability' in this statement. Use an example to support your answer.