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

Directions: In the following questions each passage consists of six sentences. The first and the sixth sentences are given as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences have been removed and jumbled up. These are labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find out the proper sequence and choose the option.

S1. Floods are the most common natural disaster in India. P. Though they provide rice paddy farmers with a largely dependable source of natural irrigation and fertilisation, the floods can kill thousands and displace millions. Q. Almost all of India is flood-prone. R. The heavy southwest monsoon rains cause the Brahmaputra and other rivers to distend their banks, often flooding surrounding areas. S. Excess, erratic, or untimely monsoon rainfall may also wash away or otherwise ruin crops. S6. Thus, extreme precipitation events, such as flash floods and torrential rains, have become increasingly common in central India over the past several decades, coinciding with rising temperatures.

  1. PQRS

  2. QSPR

  3. RPSQ

  4. SPQR

  5. RQPS
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The first sentence of the passage introduces the topic as floods being the most common natural disaster in India. The next sentence according to this sequence is also correct as it expands on the topic of floods being caused by the heavy southwest monsoon affecting the rivers. The next sentence carries forward the thread by discussing the pros as well as cons of the monsoon. The next sentence of this sequence then tells us how this flooding can ruin crops. The next sentence is an introduction to the last sentence of the passage as the statement that all of India is flood prone is a precursor to the sentence that then tells us about how these extreme precipitaion events have caused havoc in central India over the past decades. Thus, this sequence logically follows and is correct.

Multiple choice

You are a District Collector who has been requested by your counterpart in an adjoining district to allow flood relief camps to be operated, as that district had been hit by floods. You allowed such camps to be erected in areas under your jurisdiction. Further, you also contributed in provision of basic amenities to the flood victims. Subsequently you receive complaints about theft and vandalism of property in areas around the camp. People are pointing fingers at the residents of the camp and want them to immediately return back to their homes as flood waters have abated. But the people in the camp are resisting this as roads leading to the district have been washed away and supply of food, medicine and other essential materials will not be restored immediately. In such a situation you would;

  1. ask the District Collector of the adjoining district to take back the people as their continued presence is creating law and order problem in areas around the camp.

  2. appeal to the residents to show compassion and understanding as they or anybody else might face such a calamity in future.

  3. direct the residents to file a complaint with the police.

  4. step up the vigil around the camp and direct the police to inquire into the incident.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

2.5 marks for option (d) 1.5 marks for option (c) 1 mark for option (b) 0 marks for option (a) Rationale/Reasoning (d) Directing for an inquiry into incidents which have occurred is essential to book the culprits. Stepping up the vigil is required to prevent further such incidents and for security of residents as well relief seekers. (c) Option ‘c’ is the next best course of action as actual complaints will get inquired into. (b) Making an appeal for compassion though good in principle may or may not work. Besides, as a District Collector you may be seen to be siding with people of adjoining district while neglecting the bonafide interest of people of your district. As such, only an appeal will not suffice. (a) Asking the people to be taken back will be unjust as food/ medical supply has not been restored. Besides the allegation of vandalism/ theft may be the handiwork of somebody else and not that of the relief seekers. Principles/ Values tested   Upholding justice without succumbing to pressure or unjust public sentiment. 

Multiple choice

What should be avoided during a thunderstorm?

  1. Bathing

  2. Use of mobile phone

  3. Use of cordless phone

  4. Use of electrical lights
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Bathing should be avoided during thunderstorms to avoid contact with running water.

Multiple choice

‘Acts of God’ are the result of

  1. Natural Disasters

  2. Violence

  3. Technological crises

  4. Rumours
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Natural crises or disasters are the ‘Acts of God’. They are environmental phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes and hurricanes, floods, landslides, tsunamis, storms, and droughts that threaten life, property, and the environment.

Multiple choice

Tremors on the earth can be caused by __________. (a) nuclear explosions (b) meteorite hits (c) thunderstorms (d) cyclones

  1. Only (a)

  2. Only (a) and (b)

  3. Only (c)

  4. Only (c) and (d)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The tremors on the earth can be caused by nuclear explosions or when a meteorite hits the earth. Thunderstorms and cyclones can cause massive destruction on the earth’s surface, but cannot be a cause for tremors as they cannot move the earth’s crust.

Multiple choice

Why is it advised not to touch water pipes in buildings during a thunderstorm? (a) Because heat can be produced in them due to friction with the wind (b) Because current can be passing through them (c) Because the water pipe may burst due to excess of flow of water

  1. Only (a)

  2. Only (b)

  3. Only (c)

  4. Only (a) and (c)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

It is advised not to touch water pipes in buildings during a thunderstorm because current can be passing through them during a thunderstorm. 

Multiple choice

(A) There is an outbreak of several epidemics in the country. (B) There was a worst flood situation ever experienced in the past in most parts of the country.

 Below in each question are given two statements (A) and (B).Read both the statements and decide which of the following answer choice correctly depicts the relationship between these two statements :

  1. If statement (A) is the cause and statement (B) is its effect

  2. If statement (A) is the effect and statement (B) is its cause.

  3. If both the statements (A) and (B) are independents causes

  4. If both the statements (A) and (B) are effects of independent causes

  5. If both the statements (A) and (B) are the effects of the some common cause
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Statement (A) is the effect and (B) is its cause.Here, flood is the cause due to which there is a serious outbreak of epidemics in the country which is a effect.

Multiple choice

What is a thunderstorm

  1. Destructive

  2. Disaster

  3. Mixture of rain, dust and thundering

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

Good

Multiple choice colon punctuation english

These days, one of the things that meteorologists most fear is the onset of a tropical cyclone: a rapidly rotating storm system with a low pressure center.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined word.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. cyclone;

  3. cyclone,

  4. cyclone ...
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
The sentence consists of an independent clause followed by a closely related item. A colon is used to introduce an item or list of items in a sentence. Thus, the use of colon in the given sentence is correct.
Option B - A semi colon is used between two independent clauses when the coordinating conjunction is omitted.
Option C - A comma is used before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses.
Option D - An ellipsis is used to represent a trailing off thought.
Thus, the correct answer is Option A, no change.
Multiple choice story and its elements writing english

Select the best exposition to introduce the given:

A war took place a few years ago and many houses lay in ruins because of it. 

  1. The houses lay in ruins because of the war in the past.

  2. The scars of the war were still evident: houses were but fragile blocks of brick.

  3. The war destroyed many houses, causing them to lay in ruins.

  4. Long ago, there was a war. It destroyed many houses.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

An exposition is a literary device used to introduce background information or a backstory of a character or plot.

Option B: This sentence: 'the scars of the war', followed by the description of the houses 'houses were but fragile blocks of brick' is an introduction to the given line 'a war took place a few years ago...'
Hence this is the best exposition that can give a proper background to a war and its resulting ruins.
So, option B is correct.
Options A, C and D: These sentences repeat the same thing that's already given in the question 'A war took place...' There's no background given by these options. They aren't suitable expositions as they don't describe the scene or explain the line, but repeat the same line again.
Hence options A, C and D are wrong.

Multiple choice physics range of hearing sound: production of sound audible, infrasonic and ultrasonic sounds different sounds

Some animals get disturbed and start running here and there just before the earthquakes occur because they can hear______________?

  1. infrasonic sounds

  2. ultrasonic sounds

  3. audible sounds

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

Answer is A.

Earthquake produces infra-sound before the main shock wave.Infra-sound is a low-frequency sound. It is sound that is lower in frequency than 20 Hz (hertz) or cycles per second, the normal limit of human hearing. Hearing becomes gradually less sensitive as frequency decreases, so for humans to perceive infra-sound, the sound pressure must be sufficiently high. 
Rhinos have extremely good ears, picking up infra-sound far deeper than the range of human hearing.
Rhinos, can hear down to a frequency of four hertz, whereas even a human baby, with entirely undamaged ears, can normally only pick up sounds as low as 20 hertz. Giraffes and elephants can also hear in this infra-sound range.
Hence, we can see some animals get disturbed and start running here and there just before the earthquakes because they can hear infrasonic sound.