Weather & Natural Phenomena

About Weather & Natural Phenomena

Test your knowledge of weather patterns, famous storms, rainbows, earthquakes, volcanoes, and the science behind natural events! Weather & Natural Phenomena packs 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 5 easy, 5 medium, 5 hard questions into a relaxed session of roughly 7 minutes — no sign-up, no timer pressure. An explanation appears after every answer, and finishing once a day keeps your streak alive.

A few sample questions

1. 1. What is the name of the scale used to measure wind speed, ranging from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane force)?

   Answer: Beaufort Scale

   The Beaufort Scale was developed in 1805 by Sir Francis Beaufort of the Royal Navy. It classifies wind speed from Force 0 (calm, less than 1 mph) to Force 12 (hurricane, 73+ mph).

2. 2. How many colors are in a rainbow?

   Answer: 7

   A rainbow contains 7 colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. They always appear in this order because each color has a different wavelength of light that refracts at a slightly different angle.

3. 3. What weather instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure?

   Answer: Barometer

   A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, which is a key indicator for weather forecasting. Falling pressure often signals approaching storms, while rising pressure typically indicates fair weather.

4. 4. What type of cloud is flat, gray, and often covers the entire sky like a blanket?

   Answer: Stratus

   Stratus clouds form in uniform, flat layers and often produce light drizzle or mist. The name comes from the Latin word 'stratum,' meaning a layer or sheet spread out.

5. 5. What causes thunder?

   Answer: The rapid expansion of air heated by lightning

   Thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of air surrounding a lightning bolt. Lightning superheats the air to around 30,000 Kelvin (about 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit), causing it to expand explosively and create a shockwave we hear as thunder.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale rates tornado intensity from EF0 (65-85 mph winds) to EF5 (over 200 mph winds). It was developed by Dr. Tetsuya Theodore Fujita at the University of Chicago and updated in 2007.
• ✓The Ring of Fire is a 25,000-mile horseshoe-shaped zone around the Pacific Ocean where about 75% of the world's volcanoes are found and roughly 90% of earthquakes occur, due to the movement of tectonic plates.
• ✓The eye of a hurricane is a calm, often clear area at the center, typically 20-40 miles in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, which contains the storm's most intense winds and heaviest rainfall.