The energy released during a magnitude 8 earthquake is approximately ______ times larger than the energy released during a magnitude 6 earthquake.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy released by an earthquake increases by a factor of approximately 32 for each whole number increase in magnitude. Therefore, a magnitude 8 earthquake releases about 32^2 (or 1024) times more energy than a magnitude 6 earthquake, which rounds to about 1000 times more energy.

The Energy Released During a Magnitude 8 Earthquake Is Approximately