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Magnitude 7 isn't "a bit stronger" than 6.

The magnitude scale is logarithmic. One step up means ten times the ground motion and about 32 times the energy released. A magnitude 8 quake therefore releases roughly 1,000 times the energy of a magnitude 6. The strongest ever recorded, Chile in 1960, reached magnitude 9.5.

Useful: Decibels and pH are logarithmic too: small steps in the number, huge differences in reality.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

DenkwerkzeugGeologieZahlen

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Question on this card

How much more energy does a magnitude 8 quake release than a magnitude 6?

  1. Twice as much
  2. About 10 times
  3. About 1,000 times
  4. About 1 million times
Show the answer

Correct: About 1,000 times

About 32 times per step, so two steps is roughly 32 × 32 ≈ 1,000 times.

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