According to the moment magnitude scale (M_w),the amplitude of ground shaking during a magnitude 8 earthquake would be 1,000 times greater than a magnitude ________ earthquake. A) 9 B) 5 C) 7 D) 4

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the moment magnitude scale, each whole number increase in magnitude corresponds to a 10-fold increase in amplitude. Therefore, the amplitude of ground shaking during a magnitude 8 earthquake would be 10 times greater than a magnitude 7 earthquake, which in turn would be 10 times greater than a magnitude 6 earthquake, and so on. To reach a 1,000-fold increase in amplitude, we need to go up three whole numbers, which would be from a magnitude 5 to a magnitude 8 earthquake. Therefore, the correct answer is B) 5.

According to the Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw),the Amplitude of Ground

According to the Moment Magnitude Scale (M_w),the Amplitude of Ground