According to the moment magnitude scale (M_w),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 increase of 1 on the scale represents a 10-fold increase in the amplitude of ground motion, energy released, and fault area. Therefore, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 would be 10 times greater than one with a magnitude of 7, and 100 times greater than one with a magnitude of 6. Continuing this pattern, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9 would be 10 times greater than one with a magnitude of 8, and therefore 1,000 times greater than one with a magnitude of 5. Thus, the correct answer is B.

According to the Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw),a Magnitude 8 Earthquake

According to the Moment Magnitude Scale (M_w),a Magnitude 8 Earthquake