Let us put this to rest... AVERAGE flow rate for Victoria Falls-1088 cu. meters/second, Iguazu Falls-1756 cu. meters/second, Niagara Falls-2404 cu. meters/second. All three are magnificent to behold, but based on average flow rate I think the quizmaster is correct to label Niagara as the biggest.
But average flow rate is not the measure of the "biggest" waterfall. Otherwise a very large river falling just a metre could claim that. "Biggest" should be average flow rate x height. Then, as Victoria Falls is three times the height of Niagara, it would win easily. It is also "the most magnificent to behold", IMO.
A region is classed as a desert because of its precipitation levels not whether it's covered in sand or ice. The Dry Valleys in Antarctica receives no rain making it the driest place in the world
The quiz title should really be "Geographical Extremes." Geology is, to put it bluntly, the study of rocks. Items like longest river and biggest desert are geographical extremes - they don't have anything directly to do with underlying rock formations.
This states it plainly, not "somewhat-ly." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_River. The clue was not which is the longest NA river system, but the longest river. The Missouri is 2341 miles, the Mississippi is 2202. The correct answer should appear as Missouri. (One more thing we were taught incorrectly when I went to school.)
I don't think it's quite as black and white as that. The length of most rivers is calculated to the distance of their furthest source. I don't see why a special exception should be made for the Mississippi.
This states it plainly: an article on a website that literally anyone with an internet connection can edit and has 1,000s of edits, restored edits, reselected items, flame wars and all around contradictory information. Nice choice.
For example, the article on the Mississippi River gives its length as 2,320 miles.
The article on longest U.S. rivers lists it as 2,202 miles.
If you cite Wikipedia as accurate, which edit? One of the 1,000 previous versions of the article or maybe one of the as yet to be edited 1,000 more? Which one is the holy true version?
by average flow rate or volume Niagara Falls is the largest, but by largest extreme Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian/ Argentine border is the biggest, by far which reaches twice Niagara's greatest flow.
The mid atlantic ridge is a ridge, not a trench. There is a central graben, but by no means is it considered a trench. The subduction zone trenches, such as the Mariana Trench, are generally around the margins of the Pacific ocean basin. There are only a couple of small trenches in the Atlantic.
mauna Kea is a bit deceiving -- highest base to peak including under the ocean doesn't seem to be what most would talk about with highest base to peak -- and as you can see by the results most aren't getting it. Of course Denali is already there and otherwise is the answer if you don't count submerged mountain . . .
That's a pretty hard one to answer, I don't know about you in the USA, but here in France, I heard about it only once, in a volcanology exposition in my youth, and while it saved my perfect on this quiz, I think it's not so common knowledge
By any standard I can think of, the Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon is larger than the Grand Canyon (although the former is sometimes also given the epithet 'Grand', so if you are already referring to it, apologies). More debatable candidates for largest also appear to exist beneath the ice in Greenland and Antarctica. Also the Atacama question should probably also receive the qualifier 'non-arctic' as the Sahara one does, as the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are drier. Aside from that, good quiz - was glad to see the disputed status of the Nile as world's longest river reflected here, as it very seldom is.
For example, the article on the Mississippi River gives its length as 2,320 miles.
The article on longest U.S. rivers lists it as 2,202 miles.
If you cite Wikipedia as accurate, which edit? One of the 1,000 previous versions of the article or maybe one of the as yet to be edited 1,000 more? Which one is the holy true version?
your head.
No matter what criteria you choose it doesn't have the greatest flow. Yes it is more than Iguazu but that still only makes it 7th
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_waterfalls_by_flow_rate
Considering the Grand Canyon as the "biggest" canyon in the world is also VERY debatable.