Natural Disasters Final Exam Latest
2026-2027 Questions and Answers
Are natural disasters independent of their environment and
social context? - Correct Answers ✅No they are not
independent of their environment/social context.
Which natural disasters are directly affected by our actions? -
Correct Answers ✅Flooding, Wildfires, Landslides.
Physical changes to a hazard prone area (ie. engineering
structures) can... - Correct Answers ✅Make people
complacent, which is an example of mitigation. This is more
likely in rich societies.
What is the rock cycle? - Correct Answers ✅A change in
rocks from igneous to sedimentary to metamorphic and back
again by varying processes.
Where do body waves travel and what are the two types? -
Correct Answers ✅They travel through the earth; S-Waves
and P-Waves
What are components of S-Waves? - Correct Answers
✅Travel slower in a shearing motion, molecules travel
perpendicular to the direction of the wave. Travel ONLY
through solid.
,Natural Disasters Final Exam Latest
2026-2027 Questions and Answers
What are the components of P-Waves? - Correct Answers
✅Travel the fastest, compressional waves. Molecules travel
parallel to the direction of the wave, through solid AND liquid.
What are surface waves and how are they induced? - Correct
Answers ✅Much slower moving, longer period, complex
rolling motion-- restricted to the surface. Do the most
damage, p/s-waves reach the surface and induce these.
What is a seisometer? - Correct Answers ✅Pendulum
device that measures some aspect of ground motion at the
site of installation.
Does all fault motion produce earthquakes? - Correct
Answers ✅NO, all fault motion does not produce
earthquakes.
What is the epicentre of an earthquake? - Correct Answers
✅The point on the earth's surface that is directly above the
hypocentre. Closest point on the surface to the initial rupture,
rarely the "fault trace"
What is the hypocentre of an earthquake? - Correct
Answers ✅The point in the fault where the motion first
starts.
, Natural Disasters Final Exam Latest
2026-2027 Questions and Answers
What is the difference between an earthquake with a
magnitude of 7 and one with a magnitude of 5? - Correct
Answers ✅An earthquake with a magnitude of 7 will release
about 1000 more times energy than one of magnitude 5.
What is the time-lag between P and S waves? - Correct
Answers ✅A measure of the distance to an earthquake.
What is magnitude? - Correct Answers ✅The absolute size
of an earthquake.
How do hard rocks act in an earthquake compared to softer
materials? - Correct Answers ✅Hard rocks tend to have
lower amplitude shaking than soft materials in an
earthquake.
What is earthquake intensity? - Correct Answers ✅A
measure of the damage done. Qualitative and site specific.
What can directly effect the amount of casualties in an
earthquake? - Correct Answers ✅The time of day and year
that an earthquake occurs.
Can we control when earthquakes control/how big they are? -
Correct Answers ✅No, but we can cause and initiate
earthquakes.
2026-2027 Questions and Answers
Are natural disasters independent of their environment and
social context? - Correct Answers ✅No they are not
independent of their environment/social context.
Which natural disasters are directly affected by our actions? -
Correct Answers ✅Flooding, Wildfires, Landslides.
Physical changes to a hazard prone area (ie. engineering
structures) can... - Correct Answers ✅Make people
complacent, which is an example of mitigation. This is more
likely in rich societies.
What is the rock cycle? - Correct Answers ✅A change in
rocks from igneous to sedimentary to metamorphic and back
again by varying processes.
Where do body waves travel and what are the two types? -
Correct Answers ✅They travel through the earth; S-Waves
and P-Waves
What are components of S-Waves? - Correct Answers
✅Travel slower in a shearing motion, molecules travel
perpendicular to the direction of the wave. Travel ONLY
through solid.
,Natural Disasters Final Exam Latest
2026-2027 Questions and Answers
What are the components of P-Waves? - Correct Answers
✅Travel the fastest, compressional waves. Molecules travel
parallel to the direction of the wave, through solid AND liquid.
What are surface waves and how are they induced? - Correct
Answers ✅Much slower moving, longer period, complex
rolling motion-- restricted to the surface. Do the most
damage, p/s-waves reach the surface and induce these.
What is a seisometer? - Correct Answers ✅Pendulum
device that measures some aspect of ground motion at the
site of installation.
Does all fault motion produce earthquakes? - Correct
Answers ✅NO, all fault motion does not produce
earthquakes.
What is the epicentre of an earthquake? - Correct Answers
✅The point on the earth's surface that is directly above the
hypocentre. Closest point on the surface to the initial rupture,
rarely the "fault trace"
What is the hypocentre of an earthquake? - Correct
Answers ✅The point in the fault where the motion first
starts.
, Natural Disasters Final Exam Latest
2026-2027 Questions and Answers
What is the difference between an earthquake with a
magnitude of 7 and one with a magnitude of 5? - Correct
Answers ✅An earthquake with a magnitude of 7 will release
about 1000 more times energy than one of magnitude 5.
What is the time-lag between P and S waves? - Correct
Answers ✅A measure of the distance to an earthquake.
What is magnitude? - Correct Answers ✅The absolute size
of an earthquake.
How do hard rocks act in an earthquake compared to softer
materials? - Correct Answers ✅Hard rocks tend to have
lower amplitude shaking than soft materials in an
earthquake.
What is earthquake intensity? - Correct Answers ✅A
measure of the damage done. Qualitative and site specific.
What can directly effect the amount of casualties in an
earthquake? - Correct Answers ✅The time of day and year
that an earthquake occurs.
Can we control when earthquakes control/how big they are? -
Correct Answers ✅No, but we can cause and initiate
earthquakes.
