Earthquakes, floods, and landslides are all events caused by natural processes that can affect people and places. What is an event like this called?

The ground in a town shakes hard for several seconds and long cracks open in a nearby road. What causes an earthquake like this?

During volcanic activity, hot melted rock reaches Earth's surface. Where does that hot melted rock come from?

A series of very large ocean waves races across the ocean and rises up higher as it reaches shallow water near land. What is this natural hazard called?

Rock under the ocean floor suddenly moves during an earthquake and pushes a huge amount of water above it upward. Which natural hazard can this start?

Rain falls on a steep hillside for several days until the soil is soaked. Why does soaked soil make a landslide more likely?

Where do landslides usually happen?

A town sits on low, flat ground in a river valley, and heavy rain has fallen for many days. Which natural hazard is this town most likely to face?

What happens to the land during a flood?

A tsunami travels across the open ocean toward land. Which places are most at risk when it arrives?

A world map shows a dot for every place where earthquakes happen often and every place where volcanoes are found. What pattern do the dots make?

A strong earthquake shakes a steep hillside and loosens large chunks of rock and soil near the top. Which natural hazard is most likely to follow?

People cannot stop natural hazards from happening, but they can design solutions that reduce the impact of a hazard.

Volcanic activity can build new landforms, such as mountains and islands.

What is a natural hazard?

Which natural hazard causes the ground to shake suddenly?

Earthquakes happen just as often in every part of the world, so no region needs to prepare for them more than any other region does.

Which hazard happens when water covers land that is usually dry?

Which natural hazard is a quickly spinning column of air that reaches from a thunderstorm to the ground?

A hurricane is a large rotating storm that forms over warm ocean water.

A warning says a tsunami is heading toward a beach town. What is the safest thing for people in the town to do?

Which hazard is a long period with much less rain or snow than usual?

An uncontrolled fire that burns forests, grasslands, or other plants is called a wildfire.

Which natural hazard is the fast movement of rock, soil, or mud down a slope?

Which hazard includes heavy snow, strong winds, and very low visibility?

Engineers can design buildings that sway a little without breaking, so the buildings are less likely to fall down in an earthquake.

Which hazard is snow, ice, and rocks suddenly sliding down a mountain?

Which natural hazard often brings lightning, thunder, heavy rain, and sometimes hail?

Planting trees and grass on a steep hillside makes a landslide more likely, because the roots loosen the soil.

Which hazard is a rise of ocean water pushed onto land by a strong coastal storm?

Which natural hazard forms when strong winds pick up loose soil or sand and blow it through the air?

A volcanic eruption is the same type of hazard as a tornado because both are caused by spinning air.

A town has had very little rain for many months, and its lake is getting low. Which action would best help the town keep enough water?

A town beside a river floods almost every spring. Which solution would best protect the town's homes from the water?

Firefighters clear all the dry grass and bushes from a wide strip of land between a forest and a town. How does this help if a wildfire starts in the forest?

A flood and a drought are opposites in one important way: floods involve too much water, while droughts involve too little water.

Which hazard can shoot ash high into the sky and then cover nearby towns in a thick layer of it?

Scientists check a volcano for small earthquakes and for ground that is swelling up. How does this help the people who live nearby?

Scientists can tell a town the exact day and hour an earthquake will strike, so people always have time to leave.

Which natural hazard is most likely during very dry, windy weather in an area with lots of plants?