Question

The 1960 giant earthquake in chile released approximately as much energy as:

1) a thermonuclear bomb.
2) the united states uses in one year.
3) the sun emits every hour.
4) a hurricane releases over its full life.
5) world annual energy consumption.

Answer 1

The 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake released energy comparable to thousands of nuclear bombs, more than a large fusion bomb, illustrating the immense power of natural geological events relative to human-made energy sources.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake, which is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, released an incredible amount of energy. Comparing this geological event to a measure of energy from the provided options, we can say that it released approximately as much energy as thousands of nuclear bombs, rather than something on the scale of the entire United States' yearly energy use or the Sun's hourly energy output.

Specifically, it released more energy than a large fusion bomb. This illustrates how natural events can surpass even the most powerful human-made explosions in terms of energy release.

For reference, a single kilogram (fusion of hydrogen to helium) can supply a typical U.S. household with electricity for about 17,000 years, demonstrating the enormous potential energy from nuclear fusion. However, the 1960 Chilean earthquake released energy equivalent to much more than just 1 kg of hydrogen fusion.

The energy from such a geological event can be compared to a substantial proportion of the annual world energy use.