Earthquake Magnitude Converter
Earthquake Magnitude Converter
Convert between earthquake magnitude scales including Richter, moment magnitude, surface wave, and body wave magnitude with energy equivalents.
Formula
Mw (from ML) = ML x 0.98 + 0.08; Mw (from Ms) = (Ms + 1.07) / 1.03; Mw (from mb) = (mb - 0.39) / 0.77; Energy (Joules) = 10^(1.5 x Mw + 4.8)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Richter and moment magnitude?
The Richter scale (local magnitude ML) was the original earthquake scale but saturates above 6.5. Moment magnitude (Mw) is more accurate for large earthquakes and is now the standard used by seismologists worldwide.
How much stronger is each whole number increase?
Each whole number increase in magnitude represents roughly 31.6 times more energy released. A magnitude 7 earthquake releases about 1,000 times more energy than a magnitude 5.
What magnitude can humans feel?
Most people can feel earthquakes starting around magnitude 3. Earthquakes below 2.5 are typically not felt but are recorded by instruments.
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