Natural Hazards

1. fires fire that occurs well ahead of the fire front, caused when glowing embers are caught up in the convection column and carried ahead of the main fire by the wind
3. eruption the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge of steam and volcanic material
4. temporary submergence, partial or complete, of land that is normally dry. It is caused by an overflow of water from a river or stream
6. a collapse of a mass of earth or rock from a mountain or cliff
7. the action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another
10. a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail
12. wave an elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means
14. a heavy storm that drops small pieces of ice
15. a strong, turbulent wind which carries clouds of fine dust, soil, and sand over a large area
18. the point on the earth's surface vertically above the focus of an earthquake
19. prolonged period of below-average rainfall

1. surge a rising of the sea as a result of wind and atmospheric pressure changes associated with a storm
2. a sudden local flood, typically due to heavy rain
5. swirling mass of air in the form of a column or spiral within an intense low-pressure system
8. huge sea wave caused by an earthquake
9. the flow of air, especially in the form of an air current flowing in a particulr direction
11. sudden movement of the earth’s crust caused by the release of stress accumulated along geological faults or by volcanic activity
13. a fire burning out of control; sometimes referred to as a wildfire
16. scale a numerical scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake
17. relatively short period (usually no longer than a few days) of well above average temperatures