How much more energy is released in a 5.0 magnitude earthquake than a 4.0 magnitude earthquake?
I know that a tenfold increase in wave amplitude equals an increase of 1 on the scale so 1 to 2 = 10times
so does that mean that 2 to 3 would be 10 more times?
Multiple Post. Please look at your later post.
Sra
In terms of energy, the difference between two earthquake magnitudes can be calculated using the Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw). The Moment Magnitude Scale is logarithmic, which means that each whole number increase on the scale represents a tenfold increase in the amplitude of seismic waves and approximately 31.6 times more energy release.
So, let's compare a 5.0 magnitude earthquake to a 4.0 magnitude earthquake as you mentioned. Since the magnitude scale is logarithmic, the difference in magnitude would be 5.0 - 4.0 = 1.0.
Given that each whole number increase on the magnitude scale corresponds to approximately 31.6 times more energy release, the energy released in a 5.0 magnitude earthquake would be roughly 31.6 times greater than a 4.0 magnitude earthquake.
To summarize, a 5.0 magnitude earthquake will release approximately 31.6 times more energy than a 4.0 magnitude earthquake.