Q 01/05

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake struck on the morning of which religious feast?

A) All Saints' Day

B) Christmas Day

C) Easter Sunday

D) Good Friday

Answer · why

A) All Saints' Day

Churches were packed; the quake, fires and a tsunami killed 30,000 to 40,000 of the city's 200,000 people.

Q 02/05

The Lisbon earthquake is credited with the birth of which science?

A) Oceanography

B) Seismology

C) Meteorology

D) Volcanology

Answer · why

B) Seismology

It was the first earthquake studied scientifically for its effects over a wide area.

Q 03/05

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake had roughly what magnitude?

A) 7.2

B) 7.6

C) 7.9

D) 6.5

Answer · why

C) 7.9

The fires that followed burned for days and destroyed more than 80% of the city.

Q 04/05

Roughly what proportion of San Francisco was destroyed in 1906?

A) About 25%

B) About half

C) Almost 100%

D) Over 80%

Answer · why

D) Over 80%

More than 3,000 people died.

Q 05/05

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was triggered by an earthquake off which island?

A) Sumatra

B) Sri Lanka

C) Java

D) Phuket

Answer · why

A) Sumatra

Waves up to 30 metres high hit coasts around the ocean on Boxing Day.