Big Ones, Huge Ones Trivia Quiz

Answer: Giant Sequoia

Giant Sequoias grow only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, USA. The largest specimen measured 311 feet tall and 56 feet in diameter (95 m x 17 m). The oldest known specimen is over 3,500 years, based on ring count. Due to their great height, water from the ground roots cannot reach all of the plant; the Sequoia has "air roots" in the upper reaches that extract and distribute water obtained from fog.

Answer: Amphibian

The Chinese Giant Salamander has been known to grow to a length of 6 feet (1.8 m) and a weight of 80 pounds, although typical individuals are generally half that size. The species is critically endangered due to habitat loss and overharvesting: it is considered a food delicacy and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Answer: Airplane

Only one An-225 strategic cargo aircraft was built in the Soviet Union in 1988, and remains in service with a Ukrainian cargo airline in 2014. Built to carry a Soviet space shuttle, the An-225 holds the world record for heaviest cargo carried by air: 559,577 pounds (253,820 kg).

Answer: Pacific Ocean

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is between Japan and California, usually considered as two separate concentrations of garbage - the East and West garbage patches. The patches are not wholly visible, mainly consisting of small pieces of eroded plastic that are suspended in the near-surface ocean waters.

Answer: Iceberg

The iceberg B-15 broke from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica in March 2000. It was approximately the size of Jamaica, with a total area of 4,200 square miles (11,000 sq km).

Answer: Fungus

The "Humungous Fungus" is found in the Blue Mountains of Oregon, USA. Scientists have determined that this single organism is over four square miles in area (2,384 acres, 965 hectares). The species is Armillaria ostoyae, commonly known as a honey mushroom. Based on growth rate, the organism is estimated to be at least 2,400 years old.

Answer: Jewelry

According to a 2011 U.S. Gelolgical Survey report, over 49% (84,000 tonnes) of the total gold in the world is in the form of jewelry. The next-largest percentage is privately-held investments at 19% or 33,000 tonnes.

Answer: Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA

Mammoth Cave has over 400 miles of passage, more than twice as much as the next-largest, Sistema Sac Actun. The cave was discovered in 1791, became a National Park in 1941 and a World Heritage Site in 1981.

Answer: Bolivia

The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia are over 4,000 sq. mi. (10,500 sq. km) in area, over 100 times the area of the USA's famous Bonneville Salt Flats. The Salar de Uyuni are part of the Altiplano, a high plateau in the Andes Mountains that has no drainage outlets.

Answer: Uranium

Uranium, atomic number 92, has 92 protons. There are heavier man-made elements, the most recently produced is Ununoctium, atomic number 118.