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What is the average magnitude of the California and Alaskan earthquakes over the last 10 years based on the data below?

California Recordings:

Year Magnitude

1998 4.5

1999 5.5

2001 5.0

2001 3.3

2004 3.1

2005 4.5

2005 5.0

2006 3.3

2007 3.6

2008 3.4
Alaska Recordings

Year Magnitude

1998 5.6

1999 5.0

2000 6.2

2000 3.4

2001 5.6

2002 7.6

2003 3.8

2005 6.4

2007 6.8

2008 3.8

Thank you so much for your time!

1 Answer

4 votes

Average earthquake magnitude for California over the 10 years of recording shown = 4.12.

Average earthquake magnitude for Alaska over the 10 years of recording shown = 5.42.

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When we think of earthquakes in the United States, we usually think of California as being most frequently in the news for such events. But Alaska has the most earthquakes of any US state, and the strongest earthquakes. Quoted in an article for CNN (December 1, 2018), Randy Baldwin of the US Geological Survey explained why California often gets more media attention for earthquakes there: ""California probably gets more media attention than Alaska due mainly to the population factor. Anchorage has a population of around 300,000, while there are numerous large population centers in California." So earthquakes in California tend to disrupt the lives of a greater number of people than the earthquakes in Alaska.

User Harry Muscle
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