NewsTracker Answers for week of Nov. 05, 2012

Q: While Sandy killed more people in New York last week, the scope of the damage was far more extensive in New Jersey where the hurricane first came ashore. Where is New Jersey on this map?

Circle the area on this map

Q: The storm caused catastrophic flooding in the New York City suburb of Hoboken, N.J., where the National Guard rescued residents trapped by sewage-filled water. What separates Hoboken from New York City?

A. East River

B. Harlem River

C. Hudson River

D. New York Bay

C. Hoboken is west of the city across the Hudson River from the island of Manhattan.

Q: The storm also flooded the subway tunnels under the East River. The East River separates Manhattan from . . .

A. Brooklyn

B. Long Island

C. Queens

D. All of the above

D. The New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are on the western end of Long Island just across the East River from the borough of Manhattan.

Q: Barrier islands are relatively narrow strips of sand that are parallel to the mainland coast. Sandy devastated several East Coast barrier islands. Which of these cities is NOT on a barrier island?

A. Atlantic City, N.J.

B. Staten Island, N.Y.

C. Galveston, Texas

D. Miami Beach, Florida

B. Staten Island is another borough of New York City. It is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and Kill Van Kull straits and from the rest of New York City by New York Harbor. It is not a barrier island, but it also suffered heavy damage in the storm.

Q: Sea levels have risen about eight inches in the last century, increasing the devastation caused by hurricanes. The warming climate is melting land ice worldwide and expanding ocean water. By the end of this century, scientists believe sea levels could rise . . .

A. Another 8 inches

B. About a foot

C. Nearly two feet

D. More than 3 feet

D. Scientists believe the rate of climate change is accelerating. While there were a combination of natural variables that made Sandy so destructive, warmer surface ocean temperatures give hurricanes more energy. And, global warming has raised the overall temperature of the ocean surface by about one degree Fahrenheit since the 1970s.