Changes

The amount of energy released is about 31x more with each whole number increase.  To make the ground shake 10x more, you need to release 31x more energy.  This is only useful for comparing with explosions and other natural phenomena.  For example, a [[tornado]] releases about the same amount of energy as a 4.5 magnitude earthquake and a small [[nuclear]] explosion is similar to a 4.0 magnitude earthquake.<ref>[http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/magnitude.html]</ref>

The amount of energy released is about 31x more with each whole number increase.  To make the ground shake 10x more, you need to release 31x more energy.  This is only useful for comparing with explosions and other natural phenomena.  For example, a [[tornado]] releases about the same amount of energy as a 4.5 magnitude earthquake and a small [[nuclear]] explosion is similar to a 4.0 magnitude earthquake.<ref>[http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/magnitude.html]</ref>

==See Also==

==See also==

*[[Earthquake]]

* [[Earthquake]]

*[[Epicenter]]

* [[Natural disaster]]

*[[San Francisco 1906 earthquake and fire]]

*[[Loma Prieta Earthquake]]

* [[Loma Prieta Earthquake]]

* [[San Francisco 1906 earthquake and fire]]

* [[Epicenter]]

* [[Emergency links]]

==External Links==

==External links==

*[http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfjps/1300/magnitude.html Richter Magnitude]

*[http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfjps/1300/magnitude.html Richter Magnitude]

*[http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/magnitude.html Math behind the scale]

*[http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/magnitude.html Math behind the scale]

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[[category:geology]]

[[Category:Geology]]

[[Category:Seismology]]

[[Category:Seismology]]