An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 is significantly more intense than an earthquake of magnitude 3.1 on the Richter scale. The Richter scale is logarithmic, meaning that each whole number increase on the scale represents a tenfold increase in amplitude and roughly 31.6 times more energy release.
Therefore, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake has around 2,812 times more energy release than a magnitude 3.1 earthquake. The effects of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake would be much more severe and widespread compared to a magnitude 3.1 earthquake.
How does an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 compare in intensity with an earthquake of magnitude of 3.1 on the Richter scale?
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