Animal Antics 1. A grasshopper can leap over obstacles five hundred times its own height. 2. The Giant Jump may make you tired, but Dolphins jump to conserve energy. It is much easier to move through the air than through the water. 3. If a human had the jumping ability of a cat flea, they could jump 200 meters. 4. According fossil records frogs have been jumping around for 190 million years. 5. Kangaroos can leap up to 7.6m in the air, but they cannot jump at all if their tail is lifted off the ground. 6. Atlantic salmon are able to leap 4.5 meters high. 7. Kittens can cover about three times their body length per leap. 8. Rabbits never walk or trot, but always hop or leap. Both rabbits and hares belong to the mammal group lagomorphs, which means "leaping shapes." 9. The flying fish can stay airborne for up to 100 metres. 10. Penguins can jump almost 2 meters into the air. Sporting Moments 1. Humans and horses are not the only animals who jump for sport. The world record Frog Jump was set at 21 feet 5.75 inches (6.55m) in May of 1986 by "Rosie the Ribiter" from California. 2. The sport of Rabbit Jumping has over 2000 competitors in countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden (where it originated in 1979) and the UK. 3. Modern Bungee jumping was actually invented in the Bristol when in 1979 members of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club (dressed in tuxedos and top hats) leapt from the Clifton Suspension Bridge. 4. Triple Jumping originates from ancient Celtic games where warriors used the technique to jump over rivers using stepping stones. 5. The 1st successful parachute jump to be made from a moving airplane was by Captain Berry in Missouri in 1912. Energetic Earth 1. A magnitude 1 seismic wave releases as much energy as blowing up 6 ounces of TNT. A magnitude 8 earthquake releases as much energy as detonating 6 million tons of TNT. 2. It has been estimated that over 75 million people have been killed by earthquakes. 3. Of the ten strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the world, three have occurred in Alaska. 4. The largest earthquake ever recorded occurred in Chile on May 22 1960 with a magnitude of 9.5. 5. Before electronics allowed recordings of large earthquakes, scientists built large spring-pendulum seismometers in an attempt to record the long-period motion produced by such quakes. The largest one weighed about 15 kg. 6. It is thought that more damage was done by the resulting fire after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake than by the earthquake itself. 7. Most earthquakes occur at depths of less than 80 km (50 miles) from the Earth's surface. The world's deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1557 in central China where people lived in soft-rock caves which collapsed killing an estimated 830,000 people. 8. The earliest recorded evidence of an earthquake has been traced back to 1831 BC in the Shandong province of China. 9. Eleven people are known to have died from British earthquakes dating from 1580 to 1940. Six were killed by falling stones, two fell from upper floors, two died of shock and one committed suicide. 10. Over three million earthquakes occur every year. That's about 8,000 a day, or one every 11 seconds. Jump Menu • Initial results • Final results • Measuring • Witness Statement • Fun Facts • Jump Meters • Web Links • Competitions • launch day diary • Curriculum Links