Classmate Facts # 135 - Did you Know?

The last in the series of Classmate Facts. Do write to me on thefactorium@gmail .com about the series and your views on it. Enjoy!

1. How far does regular dust blow in the wind? A. A 1999 study showed that African dust finds its way to Florida and can help push parts of the state over the prescribed air quality limit for particulate matter set by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. The dust is kicked up by high winds in North Africa and carried as high as 20,000 feet (6,100 metres), where it is caught up in the trade winds and carried across the sea. Dust from China makes its way to North America too.

2. Where is the world’s highest waterfall? A. The water of Angel falls in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 metres).

3. What two great American cities are destined to merge? A. The San Andreas fault, which runs north-south, is slipping at the rate of about 2 inches (5 centimetres) per year, causing Los Angeles to move towards San Francisco. Scientists forecast that LA will be a suburb of the City by the Bay in about 15 million years.