Magnitude
Magnitude is a measure of the amount of energy released during an earthquake.
It may be expressed using several magnitude scales. One of these, Used in
Southern California, is called the Richter scale. To calculate magnitude, the amplitude of waves on a seismogram is measured, correcting for the distance between the recording instrument and the earthquake epicentre. Since magnitude is representative of the earthquake itself, there is thus only one magnitude per quake. Taking the Lawton earthquake of 1998 APR 28, as an example, one could not therefore speak of magnitude 4 at Lawton and magnitude 3 at Tulsa. The effects at the two places were different, but the magnitude of an earthquake is unique; in this example, it was 4.2 on the Richter scale. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. This means that, at the same distance, an earthquake of magnitude 6 produces vibrations with amplitudes 10 times greater than those from a magnitude 5 earthquake and 100 times greater than those from a magnitude 4 earthquake.In terms of energy, an earthquake of magnitude 6 releases about 30 times more energy than an earthquake of magnitude 5 and about 1000 times more energy than an earthquake of magnitude 4. It is very unlikely that an earthquake of magnitude less than 5 could cause any damage.
Richter Magnitude Scale
In 1935, Charles F. Richter devised a scale for quantifying the amount of energy released by an earthquake. His scale, known as the Richter scale, was a logarithmic scale based upon the relationship between an earthquake 's peak amplitude, or ground motion, and the distance of the recording device from the quake 's epicenter. As a base-ten logarithmic scale, each whole number increase equals a ten-fold increase in ground movement, and around 31 times the energy. The scale was designed for California earthquakes and is not reliable for magnitudes greater than seven, or distances
It may be expressed using several magnitude scales. One of these, Used in
Southern California, is called the Richter scale. To calculate magnitude, the amplitude of waves on a seismogram is measured, correcting for the distance between the recording instrument and the earthquake epicentre. Since magnitude is representative of the earthquake itself, there is thus only one magnitude per quake. Taking the Lawton earthquake of 1998 APR 28, as an example, one could not therefore speak of magnitude 4 at Lawton and magnitude 3 at Tulsa. The effects at the two places were different, but the magnitude of an earthquake is unique; in this example, it was 4.2 on the Richter scale. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. This means that, at the same distance, an earthquake of magnitude 6 produces vibrations with amplitudes 10 times greater than those from a magnitude 5 earthquake and 100 times greater than those from a magnitude 4 earthquake.In terms of energy, an earthquake of magnitude 6 releases about 30 times more energy than an earthquake of magnitude 5 and about 1000 times more energy than an earthquake of magnitude 4. It is very unlikely that an earthquake of magnitude less than 5 could cause any damage.
Richter Magnitude Scale
In 1935, Charles F. Richter devised a scale for quantifying the amount of energy released by an earthquake. His scale, known as the Richter scale, was a logarithmic scale based upon the relationship between an earthquake 's peak amplitude, or ground motion, and the distance of the recording device from the quake 's epicenter. As a base-ten logarithmic scale, each whole number increase equals a ten-fold increase in ground movement, and around 31 times the energy. The scale was designed for California earthquakes and is not reliable for magnitudes greater than seven, or distances
References: 1. seismo.berkeley.edu/faq/1906_0.html 2. Title: Magnitude 8: Earthquakes and Life Along the San Andreas Fault Authors: Philip Fradkin Publisher: University of California Press ISBN: 0520221192 3. Title: Living with Earthquakes in California: A Survivor 's Guide Author: Robert Yeats Publisher: Oregon State University Press 4. http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGkkAv5MBQLRwAB_lXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0NzExbWllBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA01TWTAxNV83Mw--/SIG=12akmalhl/EXP=1354847407/**http%3a//www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/earthquakes