Geography · Environmental Studies

Natural Hazards and Disasters

1,386 Questions

Natural hazards and disasters involve the study of extreme natural events like earthquakes, floods, and cyclones, alongside their management and mitigation strategies. This geography and environmental studies topic is heavily tested in civil services and state public service examinations. Use these questions to prepare for inquiries on disaster response, community recovery, and tremor causes.

Earthquake and tremor causesDisaster management activitiesFlood management mythsCyclone and severe weatherPost-disaster health problemsCommunity disaster response

Natural Hazards and Disasters Questions

Multiple choice

The expression “richter scale” relates to

  1. floods

  2. volcanoes

  3. earthquakes

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Richter scale is used to rate the magnitude of an earthquake, i.e. the amount of energy released during an earthquake.

Multiple choice

Rows of trees grown along the coastal areas to reduce the impact of cyclones are known as

  1. wind breaks

  2. protection forests

  3. mangroves

  4. shelter belts
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that grow along tropical and subtropical coastlines. Their dense root systems (called pneumatophores) trap sediment, reduce wave energy, and act as natural barriers against cyclones, storm surges, and coastal erosion. Rows of mangroves are specifically planted as cyclone protection in vulnerable coastal areas like Bengal and Odisha.

Multiple choice

What are the tropical cyclones of Bay of Bengal called?

  1. Hurricanes

  2. Typhoons

  3. Depressions

  4. Tornadoes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The term 'depression' is commonly used in India for tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. While hurricanes and typhoons are the same phenomena, they are regionally named - hurricanes in Atlantic/NE Pacific, typhoons in NW Pacific.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are true?

  1. Excessive rains may cause floods.
  2. No rainfall for a year or more may lead to drought in a region.
  3. Steam rising from a hot girdle when water is sprinkled on it is due to evaporation.

  1. Only 1

  2. 2 and 3

  3. 1, 2 and 3

  4. Only 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Excessive rains may cause floods. No rainfall for a year or more may lead to drought in that region. Steam rising from a hot girdle when water is sprinkled on it is due to evaporation.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the best option to fill blank 1.

In January, torrential rain brought unprecedented floods to Malawi in Southern Africa. It (1) ___ nearly (2) ____ quarter of a million people, devastated 640,000 hectares of land, highlighting (3) ___ vulnerability of a country in which 65% of (4) ___ population are farmers, most (5) ___ below the poverty line.

  1. moved

  2. displaced

  3. damaged

  4. disengaged
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

To displace means to move out of place. It makes sense here in the context of torrential rains.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the best option to fill blank 4.

In January, torrential rain brought unprecedented floods to Malawi in Southern Africa. It (1) ___ nearly (2) ____ quarter of a million people, devastated 640,000 hectares of land, highlighting (3) ___ vulnerability of a country in which 65% of (4) ___ population are farmers, most (5) ___ below the poverty line.

  1. a

  2. the

  3. an

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'The population' means the total population of a particular place (here, Malawi).

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the best option to fill blank 3.

In January, torrential rain brought unprecedented floods to Malawi in Southern Africa. It (1) ___ nearly (2) ____ quarter of a million people, devastated 640,000 hectares of land, highlighting (3) ___ vulnerability of a country in which 65% of (4) ___ population are farmers, most (5) ___ below the poverty line.

  1. an

  2. the

  3. a

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'The vulnerability' is correct as it is something particular to the country.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the best option to fill blank 2.

In January, torrential rain brought unprecedented floods to Malawi in Southern Africa. It (1) ___ nearly (2) ____ quarter of a million people, devastated 640,000 hectares of land, highlighting (3) ___ vulnerability of a country in which 65% of (4) ___ population are farmers, most (5) ___ below the poverty line.

  1. a

  2. an

  3. the

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'A quarter of a million' is the correct phrase here.

Multiple choice

Which one of the following can be termed as an aggregate?

  1. The number of persons fleeing in panic.

  2. The number of persons watching a street accident.

  3. The number of persons basking in the sun on a spring morning.

  4. The number of persons damaging vehicles during strike.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

An aggregate is a collection of people in physical proximity WITHOUT shared purpose or interaction. Sunbathers are physically present together (a crowd) but lack common goals or organization. Other options involve purposeful activities: fleeing (panic mob), watching (accidental crowd), or damaging (organized/mob action) - all have shared purpose.

Multiple choice

The destructive capacity of a wind storm _____________.

  1. increases with the increase in wind speed

  2. decreases with the increase in wind speed

  3. increases with the increase in temperature

  4. decreases with the increase in temperature

  5. increases with the increase in humidity
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option. The destructive capacity of a wind storm increases with the increase in wind speed.

Multiple choice

Sometimes some natural calamities bring some opportunities for the people of different nations to come together and work for the cause of humanity. Which of the following was one such incidence/calamity which helped people of Pakistan to associate themselves with the people of India and vice versa? (Incident took place in 2005)

  1. Heavy rains and flood in Mumbai

  2. Tsunami in Asian countries

  3. Severe earthquake in parts of J&K

  4. Bomb blast in tube rail in London
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir caused massive devastation in both Indian and Pakistani-administered regions. This led to rare humanitarian cooperation and the opening of the Line of Control for relief efforts.

Multiple choice

Hokkaido island in Japan was in news in 2008 for

  1. a devastating earthquake

  2. a Tsunami

  3. G - 8 Summit

  4. Miss Universe Paegant
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The 34th G8 Summit took place in Toyako, Hokkaido, Japan, from July 7 to July 9, 2008. The summit focused on global issues including the environment, climate change, and the global economy. Hokkaido is Japan's northernmost prefecture and was chosen for its scenic and secure location.