Floods MCQs Quiz Multiple Choice Questions & Answers

1. How many feet of fast-moving flood water can sweep a vehicle away?

1. 3 feet
2. 2 feet
3. 4 feet

2. How many inches of fast-moving flood water can knock you off your feet?

1. 6 inches
2. 8 inches
3. 10 inches

3. Flooding in London is prevented by

1. a barrier that is raised and lowered
2. gates in the western part of the city
3. westerly winds
4. high dams along the Themes

4. What is a flash flood?

1. A sophisticated flood
2. Power lines fallen in flood waters
3. A deep flood
4. A flood that happens fast with little warning

5. The tsunami that killed over 250,000 people in south and southeast Asia in 2004 was caused by

1. a volcanic explosion
2. an earthquake
3. a hurricane
4. a tropical storm

6. The flooding of New Orleans in 2004 was caused by

1. an earthquake
2. a tsunami
3. a hurricane
4. a tornado

7. The Probable Maximum Flood is:

1. an estimation of the largest possible flood that could occur at a particul ar location
2. the maximum flood experienced in the last 100 years
3. the maximum flood experienced in the last 200 years
4. the maximum flood experienced since flood records have existed

8. Which is not a characteristic of a regional flood?

1. An extended rise of river elevation for weeks to months
2. Large storm systems or an extended period of rainfall
3. A small drainage basin.
4. Floodplains covered with floodwaters

9. The change in elevation of a stream per unit length is called

1. base level
2. gradient
3. velocity
4. discharge

10. The lowest level to which a stream may erode is called

1. base level
2. gradient
3. velocity
4. discharge

11. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a braided stream?

1. branching channels
2. high gradient
3. abundant bed load
4. constant discharge

12. Which of the following potentially affects the size of a flood?

1. bridges and other structures in waterways
2. the size and windiness of a river
3. vegetation in and around a river
4. all of the above

13. Flash floods are often caused

1. by thunderstorms
2. dikes and dams that are too high
3. by rainfall over many days
4. by river beds that are too high

14. Flood can not occur due to

1. Cyclone
2. Tsunami
3. Heavy rain
4. Biological disaster

15. In ancient Egypt the Nile River

1. destroyed large areas of farming land every year
2. had to be regulated because it carried too much water
3. brought nutrients that made the fields fertile
4. changed its course almost every year

16. Which of the following is an environmental consequence of floods?

1. dispersal of weed species
2. erosion of soil
3. release of pollutants into waterways
4. all of the above

17. The process of avulsion causes

1. downcutting of the riverbed
2. wider floodplains for the river
3. slow shifting of the rivers channel
4. formation of a new course for the river channel

18. The process of avulsion is caused by

1. erosion of the river channel
2. buildup of sediment in the river channel
3. widening of the channel
4. destruction of natural levees

19. Which is the most common type of disaster in New Zealand?

1. Floods
2. Earthquakes
3. Tsunami
4. Volcanoes

20. Which of the following should you do in a flood?

1. Go sight-seeing
2. Drink the water
3. Put valuables high up
4. Water the garden

21. As the discharge in a stream increases, load usually

1. increases
2. decreases
3. stays the same
4. none of the above

22. A flash flood is a flood that Flood

1. is caused by heavy rain rather than from the flooding of a river
2. occurs in urban areas
3. occurs suddenly and unexpectedly and for a short duration
4. is caused by the blocking of drains

23. Which of these problems can be caused by floods?

1. Landslips
2. Sewage contamination
3. Destroyed crops
4. All of the above

24. Urbanization usually results in an increase in flood frequency because

1. less water is able to runoff in streams
2. less water is able to infiltrate into the ground,so instead is discharged rapidly i ntostreams
3. more water is used by humans and then discharged to streams
4. rainfall is greater in urban areas than in rural areas

25. In the future, which of the following is expected to increase the risk of flooding?

1. population growth
2. urbanisation
3. climate change
4. all of the above.

26. Dams are designed to reduce flooding by

1. protecting river banks from erosion
2. providing storage for flood water
3. increasing the downstream velocity of flood water
4. trapping sediment behind the dam so it cant be deposited downstream

27. What factors contribute to flooding?

1. Rainfall intensity
2. Rainfall duration
3. BOTH of the above; rainfall intensity and rainfall duration.

28. A flood can be caused by:

1. Rising rivers
2. High tides
3. Heavy rain in a small area
4. All of the above

29. Which of the following is used to estimate which areas will be inundated during a flood, based on river height information?

1. satellite and radar images
2. flood maps / floodplain hydraulicmodels
3. river gauging stations
4. all of the above

30. Which of the following is true? Flood warnings:

1. should not be released until the information is certain
2. should indicate what the threat is, what action should be taken, by whom and when
3. are best if they come from a single source
4. all of the above

31. A flood can vary in:

1. size
2. speed of water flow
3. duration
4. all of the above

32. Channelization of streams is designed to reduce flooding by

1. speeding the passage of floodwaters
2. reducing bank erosion
3. slowing down river velocity so as to reduce damage
4. increase the meandering of streams

33. A stream with too much bed load will usually have what type of channel pattern?

1. straight
2. meandering
3. braided
4. dendritic

34. Which of the following measurements is not needed to estimate stream discharge?

1. stream velocity
2. width of stream
3. bed load of stream
4. depth of stream

35. Flood risk refers to:

1. the chance of a flood occurring
2. the number of people and properties exposed to floodwaters if a flood occurs
3. the vulnerability of people and properties that are exposed to floodwaters
4. all of the above.

36. The size of a flood is measured by:

1. the rate of flow of water in a waterway or river
2. the level of water in a waterway or river
3. a river gauging station
4. all of the above.

37. Which of the following is associated with a La Niña event?

1. the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is strongly negative
2. the ocean surface off the coast of South America is warmer than usual
3. there is an increased chance of above average rainfall in easte rn Australia
4. all of the above.

38. When a rivers water level reaches 10 metres, this means that:

1. the water level is 10 metres above an arbitrary zero level
2. the water level is 10 metres above mean sea level
3. the water level is 10 metres above mean sea level or an arbitrary ‘zero level
4. it will flood.

39. In the future, which of the following is unlikely?

1. there will be an increased chance of flash flooding and coastal inundation
2. flood risk will increase due to population growth and urbanisation
3. improvements in flood forecasting and warning technologies will reduce the impacts of floods
4. we will be able to eliminate the risk of flooding.

40. Dikes and dams are lined up along the coast of the Netherlands

1. to generate electricity for its population
2. to change the course of rivers that flow into the North Sea
3. to keep storms away from the country
4. to keep ocean w ater out of the lower lying land

41. In alpine regions reservoirs are created

1. to regulate the flow of melting water from icefields
2. to give the alpine populations enough water
3. to make larger rivers smaller
4. to get enough water into the main rivers

42. What causes most flash flooding?

1. Tornadoes
2. Slow-moving thunderstorms, thunderstorms repeatedly moving over the same area, or heavy rains from hurricanes and tropical storms.
3. Hailstorms

43. Usually the largest floods in a stream occur

1. very frequently, several times in one year
2. frequently, every few years
3. rarely, about every ten years
4. rarely, or once every few 100 years

44. The largest floods in prehistoric times were probably the result of

1. very heavy rainfall
2. hurricanes
3. ice dam failures
4. meteorite impacts

45. When forests are cut or burned down

1. water can flow away very quickly and cause mudslides
2. nutrients are washed deep into the soil
3. water stands in fields and cannot flow away
4. rainfall can get into the ground more quickly

46. Which of the following statements is false?

1. weather forecasts for a small region are more accurate than those for a large region
2. weather forecasts are more accurate in Melbourne than in Darwin
3. forecasts of temperature are more accurate than forecasts of rainfall
4. all of the above

47. Which of the following can reduce the risk of flooding?

1. zonings and building regulations for new developments
2. dams, detention basins and levees
3. flood awareness and education programs
4. all of the above.