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Earthquake Energy (Richter)

Energy released by a quake of Richter magnitude M.

Formula

log⁡10E=4.8+1.5 M\log_{10} E = 4.8 + 1.5\,M

Variables

EEnergy (joules)
MMagnitude

Example

M6 ⇒ log E = 13.8 ⇒ ≈ 6×10¹³ J

Did You Know?

Each whole step up the scale releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 8 dwarfs a magnitude 6 by a thousandfold.

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