Ad Space
Other Calculators
Earthquake Magnitude Energy Calculator
Compare the energy released by two earthquake magnitudes using the standard Gutenberg-Richter energy relationship.
Energy released (Magnitude A)
—
Energy released (Magnitude B)
—
Energy ratio (B ÷ A)
—
Amplitude ratio (B ÷ A)
—
Ad Space — 300×250
About the Earthquake Magnitude Energy Calculator
Earthquake magnitude scales are logarithmic, so each whole-number increase represents a much bigger jump in actual energy released than the number itself suggests.
Formula: Energy (joules) = 10^(1.5 × Magnitude + 4.8). Amplitude Ratio = 10^(Magnitude Difference)
Every 1.0 increase in magnitude means about 10 times greater ground-shaking amplitude but roughly 31.6 times more energy released. That's why a magnitude 7.0 earthquake releases nearly 1,000 times more energy than a magnitude 5.0, even though the magnitude only doubled.
Ad Space