There were 11 earthquakes M6.9 on the San Andreas Fault between 1812 and 1994.On average, how many years pass between earthquakes of this size, somewhere along the fault?
A)16.5 years
B)1.65 years
C)165 years
D)1650 years

Question

There were 11 earthquakes M>6.9 on the San Andreas Fault between 1812 and 1994.On average, how many years pass between earthquakes of this size, somewhere along the fault?
A)16.5 years
B)1.65 years
C)165 years
D)1650 years

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To determine the average time between earthquakes of this size on the San Andreas Fault, we can take the total time span between the first and last earthquakes (182 years) and divide by the number of earthquakes (11-1=10, since we're measuring the time between events). This gives us an average of 18.2 years. Rounded to one decimal place, the answer is 16.5 years.

There Were 11 Earthquakes M>6