EAPS 106 EXAM 3 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Why the Apollo 1 and Space Shuttle Challenger disasters happened. - Answer- In 1967,
Apollo 1 experienced a fire during a test on the pad that killed 3 astronauts. The fire
spread rapidly due to the practice of using a pure oxygen environment in the capsule.
Main reasons why the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded - Answer- The program was
aware of and ignored the implications of O-ring damage on numerous recovered
booster hardware.
The launch took place under cold temperature conditions that had never even been
tested, exasperating the O-ring problem.
Managers at NASA and Morton Thiokol ignored the advice of engineers that it was not
safe to launch
Whether lightning or humans start more wildfires - Answer- Humans cause 85% of
wildfires, lightning causes the rest
Which factors strongly influence the potential for wildfires to start. - Answer- -Dry
weather
-wind
-Hot weather
What surface and crown fires are: - Answer- Surface fires involve grasses, pines
needles, and shrubs. The large surface area to volume ratio of these fuels allow them to
burn more easily and spread more rapidly. (Things on the surface)
What causes comets to have tails and the direction of the gas tail relative to the Sun. -
Answer- As a comet approaches the Sun, solar radiation causes the ices to vaporize
(sublimate) and stream out of the nucleus, carrying dust and gas away to form tails
The gas tail is composed of molecules ionized by ultraviolet light from the Sun, causing
it to emit blue light.
The gas tail is pushed directly away from the Sun by the solar wind (charges particles
streaming from the Sun)
Where meteor showers arise from. - Answer- Meteor showers are created when the
Earth passes through the remnants of broken up comet.
, Crown fires are those in which flames reach the canopies (crown) of trees where the
fine branches and needles can burn very rapidly. They are the hottest and fastest
moving of all wildfires and are extremely difficult to fight.
The three stages of a wildfire. - Answer- Preignition
Heat of fuels causes them to lose moisture, making them more combustible.
Combustion
Hotter temperatures cause fuels to release gases that combine with oxygen in a
chemical reaction the releases more heat, leading to a chain reaction.
Smoldering
Ash cover leads to slow, low temperature burning and inhibits new fuels from lighting.
Which wildfire was the largest to occur in United States history. - Answer- The Great
Fire of 1910
The largest wildfire in U.S. history: burned 3 million acres in the northwest in two days
Killed 87 people
*start of setting policies
*original policy was to aggressively fight wildfires
The original and current policies of the U.S. Forest Service regarding fighting wildfires. -
Answer- In 1972 the Forest Service shifted its policy of fighting fires from suppression to
mitigation and management
Permit wildfires to burn in wilderness areas•
Only fight fires that endanger people or important structures
Objectives: • Fuel reduction• Improvement of natural ecosystems and wildlife habitat
The benefits of forest and grassland wildfires. - Answer- 10 years after the Yellowstone
fires, Lodgepole pines reestablish themselves amongst still standing dead trees. Fire is
required for the pinecones to germinate.
Ancient hunters set fires to maintain grasslands and prevent trees and shrubs from
taking over. Grasses are able to survive fire because they can regrow from the roots,
while trees and shrubs cannot.
The difference between a fire weather watch and a fire weather warning. - Answer- Fire
weather watch:
Potentially dangerous fire weather conditions are possible over the next 12 to 72 hours.
Fire weather warning: Wildfires are occurring in the general area or will occur in the next
24 hours. (imminent)
AND ANSWERS
Why the Apollo 1 and Space Shuttle Challenger disasters happened. - Answer- In 1967,
Apollo 1 experienced a fire during a test on the pad that killed 3 astronauts. The fire
spread rapidly due to the practice of using a pure oxygen environment in the capsule.
Main reasons why the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded - Answer- The program was
aware of and ignored the implications of O-ring damage on numerous recovered
booster hardware.
The launch took place under cold temperature conditions that had never even been
tested, exasperating the O-ring problem.
Managers at NASA and Morton Thiokol ignored the advice of engineers that it was not
safe to launch
Whether lightning or humans start more wildfires - Answer- Humans cause 85% of
wildfires, lightning causes the rest
Which factors strongly influence the potential for wildfires to start. - Answer- -Dry
weather
-wind
-Hot weather
What surface and crown fires are: - Answer- Surface fires involve grasses, pines
needles, and shrubs. The large surface area to volume ratio of these fuels allow them to
burn more easily and spread more rapidly. (Things on the surface)
What causes comets to have tails and the direction of the gas tail relative to the Sun. -
Answer- As a comet approaches the Sun, solar radiation causes the ices to vaporize
(sublimate) and stream out of the nucleus, carrying dust and gas away to form tails
The gas tail is composed of molecules ionized by ultraviolet light from the Sun, causing
it to emit blue light.
The gas tail is pushed directly away from the Sun by the solar wind (charges particles
streaming from the Sun)
Where meteor showers arise from. - Answer- Meteor showers are created when the
Earth passes through the remnants of broken up comet.
, Crown fires are those in which flames reach the canopies (crown) of trees where the
fine branches and needles can burn very rapidly. They are the hottest and fastest
moving of all wildfires and are extremely difficult to fight.
The three stages of a wildfire. - Answer- Preignition
Heat of fuels causes them to lose moisture, making them more combustible.
Combustion
Hotter temperatures cause fuels to release gases that combine with oxygen in a
chemical reaction the releases more heat, leading to a chain reaction.
Smoldering
Ash cover leads to slow, low temperature burning and inhibits new fuels from lighting.
Which wildfire was the largest to occur in United States history. - Answer- The Great
Fire of 1910
The largest wildfire in U.S. history: burned 3 million acres in the northwest in two days
Killed 87 people
*start of setting policies
*original policy was to aggressively fight wildfires
The original and current policies of the U.S. Forest Service regarding fighting wildfires. -
Answer- In 1972 the Forest Service shifted its policy of fighting fires from suppression to
mitigation and management
Permit wildfires to burn in wilderness areas•
Only fight fires that endanger people or important structures
Objectives: • Fuel reduction• Improvement of natural ecosystems and wildlife habitat
The benefits of forest and grassland wildfires. - Answer- 10 years after the Yellowstone
fires, Lodgepole pines reestablish themselves amongst still standing dead trees. Fire is
required for the pinecones to germinate.
Ancient hunters set fires to maintain grasslands and prevent trees and shrubs from
taking over. Grasses are able to survive fire because they can regrow from the roots,
while trees and shrubs cannot.
The difference between a fire weather watch and a fire weather warning. - Answer- Fire
weather watch:
Potentially dangerous fire weather conditions are possible over the next 12 to 72 hours.
Fire weather warning: Wildfires are occurring in the general area or will occur in the next
24 hours. (imminent)
