- The largest earthquake in recorded history was at the shattering magnitude of 9.5 in Chile. It happened on May 22, 1960. About 1,655 were killed.
- The longest lasting earthquake ever recorded was the December 26, 2004 quake of Sumatran Andaman. It lasted between 500 and 600 seconds. A moderate sized one usually lasts only a few seconds.
- At more then 800 miles long, the San Andreas California fault is the longest in the world.
- Earthquakes on the moon do actually occur. They aren't as frequent or as violent as on earth but they do happen.
- An estimate of about 500,000 detectable earthquakes happen each year. About 100,000 can be felt when only about 100 can cause damage.
- The San Andreas fault is NOT one continuous fault. It's actually a fault zone made up of many segments.
- Alaska is the most earthquake prone state. A magnitude of seven is experienced almost every year while one of eight or greater happens on average of every 14 years.
-Posted by Hope.