Let's say that an earthquake hit Santa Monica, CA and had a magnitude of 5.7. If another earthquake hit Charleston, SC and was a magnitude of 3.4, how much more intense was the earthquake in LA?

Answer 1

To compare the intensity of earthquakes, we need to use a logarithmic scale called the moment magnitude scale (Mw). On this scale, a difference of 1 represents a tenfold increase in amplitude and approximately 31.6 times more energy released.

Given that the earthquake in Santa Monica had a magnitude of 5.7 and the one in Charleston had a magnitude of 3.4, we can calculate the difference in intensity.

Magnitude difference = 5.7 - 3.4 = 2.3

Since each unit represents a tenfold increase, we can calculate the intensity ratio as 10^2.3 ≈ 199.53.

Therefore, the earthquake in Santa Monica, CA was approximately 199.53 times more intense than the earthquake in Charleston, SC.