SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT EARTHQUAKES AND MORE

1. Earthquakes are mostly caused by geological faults, but they can also be caused by landslides, nuclear testing, mine tests, and volcanic activity.

2. The “focus” or “hypocenter” is the earthquake’s initial point of rupture. Its “epicenter” is the point at ground level above the hypocenter.

3. In ancient Greece, people believed that the god of the sea, Poseidon, caused earthquakes. When he was angry, Poseidon would strike the ground with his trident and set off an earthquake. His unpredictable, violent behavior earned him the nickname “Earth-Shaker.”

4. More earthquakes happen in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.

5. The worst avalanche triggered by an earthquake occurred in
Peru in 1070. A 250-foot (850- meter) wave of ice, mud, and rock fell down the mountain in
Huascaran at 250 miles (400 km) per hour. It carried away entire villages and killed more than
18,000 people.

6. The world’s worst landslide started by an earthquake occurred in 1920 in the Kansu province in China. The landslide killed about 200,000 people.

7. The highest tsunami caused by an earthquake happened in Japan in 1771. A tsunami 278
feet (85 meters) high struck Ishigaki Island.

8. The shape of a pagoda is known for resisting damage from earthquakes.

9. The term “tectonic” is related to the word “texture” and is from the Greek tektonikos which
means “pertaining to building,” from the Proto-Indo-European base *tek, “to make.”

10. Tectonic plates move less than 3 inches (17 cm) per year. However, a tectonic plate movement of just 20 cm is enough to set off a major earthquake, such as the 6.9
Kobe earthquake in 1995.

11. The term “marriage” derives from the Latin word mas meaning “male” or “masculine.” The earliest known use of the word in English dates from the thirteenth century.

12. Due to jobs, kids, TV, the Internet, hobbies, and home and family responsibilities, the average married couple spends just four minutes a day alone together.