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Environmental Hazards > Exam 2 > Flashcards

Exam 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What is a volcano?

A

Cone or shield shaped mountain formed at vent from which molten rock and/or gases reach the earth’s surface and erupt

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2
Q

What’s the difference between magma and lava?

A

Magma: molten rock within the earth

Lava: magma that reaches the surface

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3
Q

How could rock melt?

A

Adding temperature or adding water

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4
Q

What is viscosity?

A

How fluid magma is. Different silica content determines high or low viscosity. High silica –> high viscosity

HIGH VISCOSITY: thick and pasty magma
LOW VISCOSITY: flows easily

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5
Q

What are the different rock viscosity characteristics?

A

Basalt: brown or black. Lower viscosity (lower silica), more fluid, somewhat like cold molasses—mostly lava flows in eruptions. Least explosive

Rhyolite: white or pale shades—extremely viscous—mostly ash in eruption. Highest viscosity and volcanic danger

Andesite: viscosity between basalt and rhyolite. Most common. Flows slowly and solidifying on steep slopes.

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6
Q

What are the different magma properties as it solidifies?

A

Aa-Aa (ow, ow): sharp, jagged, uneven
Pahoehoe: Rope-like
Pillow basalt: forms as it hits water

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7
Q

What are the factors of the Volcanic Explosivity Index?

A

Size of volcano
Volume ejected material
Violence

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8
Q

What are the different types of volcanoes?

A

Cinder cone: steep-sided conical volcano characterized by loose rock fragments from eruptions. low viscosity. EXAMPLE: Mount Fox crater

Composite: upwardly concaved slope and a small summit crater. also called strata volcano. high viscosity EXAMPLE: Mount St. Helens

Shield: a broad domed volcano with gently sloping sides, characteristic of the eruption of fluid, basaltic lava. EXAMPLE: Mauna Loa (Hawaii)

Lava Dome: steep-sided mound that is formed when lava reaching the Earth’s surface is so viscous that it cannot flow away readily and accumulates around the vent. EXAMPLE: Lassen Peak

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9
Q

What are some hazards from volcanoes?

A

Pyroclastic flows: fast moving material and gas

Ash and rock fall

Mudflows

Gas outbursts and poisonous gases eg: sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen fluoride

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10
Q

What are some impacts of volcanoes?

A

Climate change

Large explosions release volcanic gas, aerosol droplets, and ash into the stratosphere

Sulfur dioxide can cause global cooling; carbon dioxide can cause global warming

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11
Q

What are the different styles of explosions from least to most explosive?

A

Strombolian: expanding steam bubbles blow magma into cinders; cinders fall around the vent to form a cinder cone; LEAST EXPLOSIVE

Vulcanian: dark eruption clouds send out blocks of volcanic rock; ash falls, some pyroclastic flows, and lateral-blast eruptions

Pelean: violent rhyolite, dacite, or andesite eruptions; high columns of ash collapse to form pyroclastic flows

Plinian: powerful continuous blasts of gas; Nuée ardente (glowing gas cloud); carry pumice high into the atmosphere, including penetration into stratosphere; silicon-rich ash and pyroclastic flows; MOST EXPLOSIVE

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12
Q

What are the different styles of explosions from least to most explosive?

A

Strombolian: expanding steam bubbles blow magma into cinders; cinders fall around the vent to form a cinder cone; LEAST EXPLOSIVE

Vulcanian: dark eruption clouds send out blocks of volcanic rock; ash falls, some pyroclastic flows, and lateral-blast eruptions

Pelean: violent rhyolite, dacite, or andesite eruptions; high columns of ash collapse to form pyroclastic flows

Plinian: powerful continuous blasts of gas; Nuée ardente (glowing gas cloud); carry pumice high into the atmosphere, including penetration into stratosphere; silicon-rich ash and pyroclastic flows; MOST EXPLOSIVE

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13
Q

What is a continental caldera? Describe Yellowstone as one.

A

Rhyolitic volcanoes with high magma viscosity, high volatile content, and gently sloping flanks. Erupt in massive volume until magma chamber has emptied enough for the ground to collapse. New magma may fill up to create a resurgent dome. Eruptions are infrequent. Yellowstone is a giant continental caldera and hasn’t erupted for about 631,000 years.

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14
Q

What are mitigation tactics for volcanoes?

A

National Volcano Early Warning System (NVEWS): national scale plan to ensure volcanoes are monitored based on their potential threat through the USGS volcano hazards program.

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15
Q

What does the National Volcano Early Warning System seek to improve on?

A

Partnerships with local governments and emergency responders

Grants to universities and other research programs

Increased staffing automation to improve 24/7 monitoring

Computer systems to distribute data

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16
Q

What are signs of a volcanic explosion?

A

Seismograph records-harmonic tremor

Small earthquakes

Change in volcano surface temperature and steam indicators

Some change in slope or bulging

Change in ratio sulfur to chlorine gas

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17
Q

What is a landslide and how do they express themselves?

A

A land slide is the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. They can occur as falls, topples, slides, spreads, or flows

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18
Q

What causes the land to move?

A

Rainfall, snowmelt, changes in water level, stream erosion, changes in groundwater, earthquakes, volcanic activity, disturbance by human activities, or any combination

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19
Q

What are quick clays?

A

Water saturated clays — can be triggered by heavy rains or other soil disturbance. Lattice-like structure and binds together quickly

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20
Q

What is the angle of repose and downslope?

A

Angle of repose: steepest angle at which loose sorted material is stable

Downslope: gravity pulling rock on slope vertically downward

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21
Q

What are the warning signs of landsides?

A

Springs, seeps, or saturated ground in areas that have not typically been wet before.

New cracks or unusual bulges in the ground, street pavements or sidewalks.

Soil moving away from foundations.

Ancillary structures such as decks and patios tilting and/or moving relative to the main house.

Tilting or cracking of concrete floors and foundations.

Broken water lines and other underground utilities.

Leaning telephone poles, trees, retaining walls or fences.

22
Q

What are mitigation tactics for landslides?

A

Retaining wall

Up to date building codes

Improving drainage

Reducing angle of slope

Buttresses

23
Q

What is a sinkhole and its impact?

A

They form when overlying ground collapses into underground soil cavities over limestone. Ground water dissolves limestone easily. Impacts include:
Damage to houses and roads

Can drain streams, lakes, and wetlands

Channel contaminants are directly introduced into groundwater

24
Q

What is an aquifer?

A

A body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater.

25
Q

What are signs sinkholes are active in an area?

A

Round circular depression

Localized subsidence

Circular small lake forming

Major foundation cracks

Sudden drop in well water levels

Rainwater disappearing into ground openings

Major cracks in road pavement

26
Q

What is karst topography?

A

Karst is topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves.

27
Q

What are the consequences of peat drainage?

A

Loss of plant rooting depth where the substrate is unfavorable (stony, acidic, saline)

Increased pumping for instability of roads and their structures

Increase in nutrient outflows

Colder surface temp during winter night

Increase of co2 flux to the global atmosphere

28
Q

What is permafrost?

A

Permanently frozen layer on or under the earth’s surface. It consists of soil, gravel, and sand, usually bound together by ice. Usually remains at or below 0 C for at least 2 years.

29
Q

What is solifluction?

A

The gradual movement of et soil or other material down slope especially where frozen subsoil acts as a barrier to the percolation of water

30
Q

What is the difference between weather and climate?

A

Weather: atmospheric conditions and activity at a particular time and place

Climate: average weather conditions over time for a particular region of the world; usually 30-year average

31
Q

Describe the two lowest atmospheric layers.

A

Troposphere: lowest layer, where weather happens

  • Tropopause: where the troposphere ends; greatest ozone concentration

Stratosphere: 2nd lowest layer; where ozone is

32
Q

What are the different atmospheric controls?

A

Latitude

Land and water relationships

Ocean currents and air masses

Altitude

Landform barriers/ orographic

Humans

33
Q

What is wind?

A

The response to atmospheric pressure to remain balanced. Typically horizontal movement to a pressure gradient force

34
Q

What is the difference between low and high pressure?

A

Low pressure: Rising air; brings ppt

High pressure: Sinking air; brings dry and sunny weather

35
Q

What is the coriolis effect?

A

The deflection of air based on the rotation of the Earth; air is reflected to the RIGHT in the NH. The opposite is true in the SH

36
Q

What is humidity?

A

The amount of water vapor in the air

37
Q

What is the difference between specific humidity and relative humidity?

A

Specific humidity:
o mass of water vapor/ mass of total air
o specific amount of water vapor g/kg in the air
o Varies as low as 0.2 g/kg in dry arctic to 18 g/kg in moist equatorial regions

Relative humidity:
o A proportion/ percent the amount of water vapor present vs the amount of water vapor and air mass can hold at a specific temperature

38
Q

What is the DALR and SALR?

A

DALR: rising dry air 5.5 F/ 1000 ft

SALR: rising saturated air 2.2-4.9 F/ 1000 F

39
Q

What is fog and its types?

A

Fog = cloud layer at the surface

Radiation fog: at night when air layer above ground falls below the dew point. Often occurs in low lying areas

Advection: when warm, moist, air mass moves over a cold surface. Air cools and dew point is reached. Often occurs along coastal regions.

40
Q

What are the major cloud types?

A

Cirrus

Cumulus

Stratus

“Alto”

“Nimbus”

41
Q

What are the types of ppt?

A

Rain, snow, hail, sleet, freezing rain, grouple

42
Q

What are the types of ppt?

A

Rain, snow, hail, sleet, freezing rain, grauple

43
Q

What are monsoons and why are they dangerous?

A

Seasonal change in wind patterns with clear wet season and pronounced dry season. They bring tremendous amounts of rain that can cause flooding or landslides

44
Q

What are the 3 ways ppt is created?

A

Orographic

Convective

Frontal

45
Q

What is lightning?

A

An electric discharge in the atmosphere between oppositely charged clouds/ land.

46
Q

What is El Niño and La Niña?

A

An unusual cooling or warming of the pacific ocean.

El Nino
o Trade winds weaken
o Warm air pushed eastward
o Southern shift jet stream
o SW US: warmer and potential for flooding
o NW US: warmer and drier

La Nina
o Strong trade winds
o Cold water upwellings off coast of S America
o SW US: drought and hot
o NW US: rainy and potential flooding

47
Q

What is the EF scale? What are tornadoes and where do they occur?

A

The Enhanced Fujita scale is a scale that measures tornado intensity.

Tornadoes are tight columns of intensely rotating air. They occur everywhere around the world.

Top tornado state: Texas

48
Q

What is the GOES satellite? How would it be used?

A

A tool to view a satellite image of a specific region in the west hemisphere. It’s useful to use to track cold and warm fronts and where storms may be traveling.

49
Q

What is the difference between a watch and a warning?

A

Watch: conditions are favorable for an event to occur

Warning: the event is actively occurring either spotted on radar or it’s physically seen by storm spotters

50
Q

What is the wind chill and heat index? What are the hazards of them?

A

Wind chill: the quantity expressing the effective lowering of air temp caused by wind, especially affecting the rate of heat loss from an object or the human body

Hazards: frostbite

Heat index: Apparent temp. what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature

Hazards: heat stroke

Environmental Hazards (3 decks)

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