The wave amplitude associated with a magnitude 8 quake on the moment magnitude scale is how many times greater than that of a magnitude 6 quake?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The moment magnitude scale is logarithmic, meaning that each increase in one unit represents a ten-fold increase in the amplitude of the seismic waves.

Therefore, the difference in magnitude between an 8 and 6 quake is 2, and the amplitude ratio is 10^(1.5*2) = 10^3 = 1,000.

Therefore, the amplitude associated with a magnitude 8 quake is 1,000 times greater than that of a magnitude 6 quake.

Answer D (992.25) is the closest choice to 1,000.

The Wave Amplitude Associated with a Magnitude 8 Quake on the Moment