What is the magnitude scale for earthquakes? What increase in energy is represented by an increase of 1 magnitude on the earthquake scale?

The magnitude scale for earthquakes, commonly known as the Richter scale, measures the amplitude of seismic waves to quantify the energy released during an earthquake. Each whole number increase on the scale reflects a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and roughly 31.6 times more energy release. For example, if one earthquake measures 5.0 and another measures 6.0, the second earthquake releases over 31 times more energy than the first! A fun fact is that the scale has been modified to accommodate better measurements, leading to the moment magnitude scale (Mw), which applies across a wider range of earthquakes and is now the more widely used scale. This evolution helps scientists provide accurate assessments of seismic events to inform emergency responses and public safety!