Natural Hazards and Disasters

Floods are common in north India because of excessive deforestation in the catchment areas. Roots of the trees keep the soil together and drain the extra water into the underground water reservoir. Due to deforestation (cutting down of the trees), the soil is no longer able to hold or drain the excess water thus leading to floods. 

The cyclone is the circulating mass of air that rotates around the center of low atmospheric pressure. It is caused due to uneven heating of the land. The uneven heating of land causes the difference in the air pressure and causes the strong flow of wind from high pressure to low pressure.

Rain is a natural weather event that is part of the normal water cycle and does not cause permanent damage to an ecosystem, unlike climate change or natural disasters.

When a population exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment, the available resources become insufficient, often leading to famine.

The Indus valley cities faced a serious threat from annual floods. To overcome this threat Mohenjo-Daro had nine levels of occupation towering over 300 feet above the present flood plain. Excavations reveal that the city was flooded more than seven times. So the houses were built on high plinth.

If trees are cleared, annual rainfall decreases and area becomes dry. Water from the soil is absorbed by the plants. Then, this water evaporates from plants and form clouds. But, if trees are cleared, less water is absorbed from the soil.  It disturbs the water cycle. The formation of clouds becomes difficult. So, it leads to reduced rainfall and area becomes dry.

Drought and floods both are the natural disasters in which there is the extreme scarcity of water due to the absence of rainfall and floods due to heavy rainfall. Drought results in infertile agricultural lands due to nonavailability of water for crop production. Hence there is no food and water for the organisms in that area that results in either migration of organisms or their death. Flood makes soli saline and erodes the fertile soil that affects the crop production even it damages the flora, fauna and other infrastructure. Thus, the correct answer is option D.

Gravity is the fundamental force that pulls material downslope, acting as the primary driver for all mass wasting events.

Seismic activity on the ocean floor is related to earthquakes and tsunamis, not riverine flooding. Rainfall, storm characteristics, and topography are all primary factors in flood prediction.

Hurricanes and typhoons derive their energy from warm ocean waters. Higher water temperatures provide more heat energy, which fuels the storm's intensity.

Tsunamis are most commonly triggered by underwater earthquakes, which displace large volumes of water and create waves.

Seismology is the study of earthquakes and seismic waves. Seismometers are the instruments used to detect and measure these vibrations.

Famine in the Horn of Africa is frequently exacerbated by the combination of severe, recurring droughts and ongoing political instability or armed conflict.

Heavy monsoon rainfall saturates the soil on hillsides, reducing its stability and leading to mudslides or landslides. These events are common in hilly regions during the rainy season.