catastrophic events
a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth; a violent usually destructive natural event
ecosystem
includes all of the living things in a given area, interacting with each other and also with the non-living (abiotic) features in the environment (weather, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere)
flood
an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal area, especially over what is normally dry land
hurricane
a storm with a violent winds of 74 mph or higher, that rotate in a circle, hurricanes form over oceans with water 80F or higher
tornado
a destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and comes before a large storm system
wildfire
a large, destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland or brush
tsunami
a long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance
earthquake
a sudden and violet shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action
meteor
a piece of rock or metal that burns and glows brightly in the sky as it falls from outer space into the Earth's atmosphere
blizzard
a severe snowstorm with high winds and low visibility
drought
a long period of abnormally low rainfall, a shortage of water results from this
volcano
a mountain or a hill, it may look like a cone, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor and gas are being or have been erupted from the earth's crust.