About how much more energy does magnitude 6 quake release compared to a magnitude 4 quake?

1 Answer
David Drayer
May 17, 2018

100 times more

Explanation:

The Richter scale is exponential scale based on powers of 10
Each increase of 1 on the Richter scale is 10 times stronger than the level below.

# 6.0 -4.0 = 2 #

This is # 10^2# or # 10 xx 10 = 100#

The Famous San Francisco Earthquake moved the earth 15-20 feet in a few minuets. The earthquake was close to a 7.9. A 9.9 would move the earth 1500 -2000 feet in a few minuets. There are places off the Pacific Coast of Oregon where fossil beaches are found more than 1500 feet above the present ocean beach straight down an imposing cliff to the Ocean below.

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