To put it in perspective, the 8.8 earthquake in Chile this morning is roughly **175 times** more powerful than the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti last month. … UPDATE/CORRECTION: Make that 500 times stronger.
To put it in perspective, the 8.8 earthquake in Chile this morning is roughly **175 times** more powerful than the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti last month. … UPDATE/CORRECTION: Make that 500 times stronger.
If the formula on the Richter scale’s Wikipedia page* and my arithmetic are both accurate — grain of salt warning — then the difference is actually FIVE HUNDRED TIMES.
The energy release of an earthquake, which closely correlates to its destructive power, scales with the 3/2 power of the shaking amplitude. Thus, a difference in magnitude of 1.0 is equivalent to a factor of 31.6 ( = (10^1.0)^(3/2)) in the energy released; a difference in magnitude of 2.0 is equivalent to a factor of 1000 ( = (10^2.0)^(3/2)) in the energy released.
Ten raised to the power of 1.8 (the difference in magnitudes) raised to the power of three-halves is 501.187234.
*I realize the “Richter scale” hasn’t been used in a while, but even the “moment magnitude scale” that’s replaced it is similarly logarithmic. It differs only on measurement, not calculation.
It appears you are correct.