GEOL 105 Reading Assessment
Chapter 6 Exam Questions and
Answers
Which of the following has the LEAST effect on flood damage? Assume that a moderate
amount of development is available for flood damage.
A.People's use of the floodplain
B.Flood duration
C.Geographic region
D.Speed of the floodwaters - Answer- C.Geographic region
Which homes built on the floodplain are most likely to sustain the greatest damage?
A.Houses outside of the floodplain
B.Houses within the 100 year floodplain but outside the 20 year floodplain
C.Houses within the 20 year floodplain
D.All houses within the floodplain have an equal chance to sustain similar amounts of
flood damage. - Answer- C. Houses within the 20 year floodplain
An alluvial fan can be found at the base level of rivers.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
What should you do during a flood?
A.Move to higher ground away from the river.
B.Wade into the water to see how deep it really is.
C.Drive your car through water to get to safety.
D.Swim across water to a safer location.
E.Go to a bridge and watch the water rise. - Answer- A.Move to higher ground away
from the river.
During a flood, the safest place to be is behind a levee or floodwall.
A. True
B. False - Answer- B. False
Construction of levees can actually make floods worse in areas upstream and
downstream from the construction.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
Which of the following natural hazards is the number 1 disaster in the United States in
terms of lives lost over the past century?
, A.Floods
B.Volcanoes
C.Earthquakes
D.Landslides
E.Lightning - Answer- A.Floods
Channelization is one of the more drastic solutions to flooding because it can cause the
draining of wetlands, which can have a negative impact on the wildlife.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
What is avulsion?
A.A river overflows its banks and leaves pools of water behind in the floodplain.
B.A river turns and moves in the opposite direction due to uplift caused by a fault.
C.A river shifts its position after a flood.
D.A river overflows and completely fills the floodplain.
E.A river deposits sediment and creates a fan-like structure. - Answer- C.A river shifts
its position after a flood.
If the discharge of a river is constant and the river channel suddenly widens, then the
velocity of the river will decrease.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
In which of the following cases would you expect the LEAST amount of flooding due to
a rainstorm? Assume all areas receive similar amounts of rainfall in the rainstorm and
there are no flood control measures in any of the areas.
A.An area where soil is already saturated due to previous recent thunderstorms
B.An area where the ground is frozen
C.A short duration rainstorm falling on an area that is typically very dry such as a desert
D.A city with many houses, paved roads, and sidewalks
E.A long duration rainstorm falling on an area that consists of forest, grasslands, and
no human development. - Answer- E.A long duration rainstorm falling on an area that
consists of forest, grasslands, and no human development.
Rivers normally stay in a state of dynamic equilibrium between their flow velocity, their
gradient, and their cross-sectional area.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
Does channelization of a stream completely prevent flooding?
A.No. Nothing can prevent flooding,
B.No. It increases flooding.
C.Yes. It is the best solution for flooding and it has no drawbacks.
D.Yes. However, it is not necessarily good for habitats.
Chapter 6 Exam Questions and
Answers
Which of the following has the LEAST effect on flood damage? Assume that a moderate
amount of development is available for flood damage.
A.People's use of the floodplain
B.Flood duration
C.Geographic region
D.Speed of the floodwaters - Answer- C.Geographic region
Which homes built on the floodplain are most likely to sustain the greatest damage?
A.Houses outside of the floodplain
B.Houses within the 100 year floodplain but outside the 20 year floodplain
C.Houses within the 20 year floodplain
D.All houses within the floodplain have an equal chance to sustain similar amounts of
flood damage. - Answer- C. Houses within the 20 year floodplain
An alluvial fan can be found at the base level of rivers.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
What should you do during a flood?
A.Move to higher ground away from the river.
B.Wade into the water to see how deep it really is.
C.Drive your car through water to get to safety.
D.Swim across water to a safer location.
E.Go to a bridge and watch the water rise. - Answer- A.Move to higher ground away
from the river.
During a flood, the safest place to be is behind a levee or floodwall.
A. True
B. False - Answer- B. False
Construction of levees can actually make floods worse in areas upstream and
downstream from the construction.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
Which of the following natural hazards is the number 1 disaster in the United States in
terms of lives lost over the past century?
, A.Floods
B.Volcanoes
C.Earthquakes
D.Landslides
E.Lightning - Answer- A.Floods
Channelization is one of the more drastic solutions to flooding because it can cause the
draining of wetlands, which can have a negative impact on the wildlife.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
What is avulsion?
A.A river overflows its banks and leaves pools of water behind in the floodplain.
B.A river turns and moves in the opposite direction due to uplift caused by a fault.
C.A river shifts its position after a flood.
D.A river overflows and completely fills the floodplain.
E.A river deposits sediment and creates a fan-like structure. - Answer- C.A river shifts
its position after a flood.
If the discharge of a river is constant and the river channel suddenly widens, then the
velocity of the river will decrease.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
In which of the following cases would you expect the LEAST amount of flooding due to
a rainstorm? Assume all areas receive similar amounts of rainfall in the rainstorm and
there are no flood control measures in any of the areas.
A.An area where soil is already saturated due to previous recent thunderstorms
B.An area where the ground is frozen
C.A short duration rainstorm falling on an area that is typically very dry such as a desert
D.A city with many houses, paved roads, and sidewalks
E.A long duration rainstorm falling on an area that consists of forest, grasslands, and
no human development. - Answer- E.A long duration rainstorm falling on an area that
consists of forest, grasslands, and no human development.
Rivers normally stay in a state of dynamic equilibrium between their flow velocity, their
gradient, and their cross-sectional area.
A. True
B. False - Answer- A. True
Does channelization of a stream completely prevent flooding?
A.No. Nothing can prevent flooding,
B.No. It increases flooding.
C.Yes. It is the best solution for flooding and it has no drawbacks.
D.Yes. However, it is not necessarily good for habitats.
