Measuring Earthquakes

Seismologists use a Magnitude scale to express the strength of an earthquake. Today you will study that scale. Put all questions and answers in an Appleworks document and turn it in to the Measuring Earthquakes folder on the server.

1) Go here and copy the Richter Magnitudes and its effect.

2. Go down to Seismic Energy. How much TNT energy is released in a 1.0 earthquake, a 4.0 earthquake, and an 8.0 earthquake?

3) To split the Earth in half through the center would be equal to what magnitude quake and how much TNT?

4.Go here and find out who the Richter Scale is named after and answer the following questions:
Who is the Richter Scale named after?
For each whole number you go up on the Richter scale, the amplitude of the ground motion goes up _____ times.

5. Using the above information, how much bigger is a 7.0 earthquake than a 6.0 earthquake?

6. How much bigger is an 8.0 earthquake than a 6.0 earthquake?

7. How much bigger is a 9.0 earthquake than a 6.0 earthquake?

For the following calculations, you will need the Calculator program on your computer. Find it in the Applications folder. Once you start it up go to View > Scientific to make it a scientific calculator.

8. Calculate how much stronger the San Francisco quake (7.8) of 1906 was compared to the Hayward quake of 1868 (6.8).

9. Calculate how much bigger the SF quake of 1906 (7.8) was compared to the Northridge quake (6.7).

10. Calculate how much bigger the Indonesian earthquake of 2004 (9.3) was compared to the San Francisco quake of 1906 (7.8).

11. Go here and watch the P-wave animation and the S-wave animation. How does the ground move for each wave?