0
Compare the energy of a 1-megaton hydrogen bomb to the energy released by a major earthquake?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
A magnitude 8 earthquake releases approximately the same energy as a 15 megaton nuclear explosion (e.g. Castle Bravo test in 1954). This is the same as fifteen 1 megaton nuclear explosions.
Note: the photo above is of a 0.5 megaton nuclear explosion.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoEnergy of nuclear explosions measured in megatons where 1 megaton is 1 million of tons of TNT.
A 9.0 magnitude earthquake like the one that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 has the approximate energy release of 480 megatons.
A 10.0 earthquake would be 15 gigatons or 15,000 megatons.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What does a Richter scale measure on an earthquake?
RICHTER SCALEThe Richter scale (known as the local magnitude scale to seismologists) was originally developed to measure small to moderate magnitude earthquakes in southern California by Charles Richter and Beno Gutenberg. The numerical levels indicate the energy released by a particular quake. The numerical value is obtained from the logarithm of the maximum amplitude of seismic waves as recorded on a seismometer. This value is then scaled to account for the distance from the epicentre of the earthquake to the seismometer so as to allow the value to be correlated with the local magnitude readings from other seismometers in differing locations (as seismic waves lose their energy as they propagate through the earth so if this correction was not made, then different seismometer stations at different distances would give differing Richter magnitudes for the same earthquake). The Richter magnitude measurement produced by this methodology in theory has no limit and may be positive or negative.As stated above, the Richter scale itself is a logarithmic mathematical formula which is calibrated so that a ten fold increase in amplitude relates to a single whole number increase on the scale (e.g. an earthquake with a Richter magnitude of 5 has seismic waves with a maximum amplitude 10 times larger than those for a magnitude 4). It has a number of practical limitations, in that it is poor at recording earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 7 and at distances greater than 650 km from a seismometer.The equation for calculating the Richter magnitude (MR) is shown below:MR = (Log10A) - (Log10A0)WhereA = maximum zero to peak amplitude of seismic wave (mm) recorded.A0 = Empirical function derived from the distance from seismometer station to earthquake epicentreLog10A0 From 0 to 200 km distance:Log10A0 = 0.15 - 1.6 log(distance in km)Between 200 and 600 km distance by:Log10A0 = 3.38 - 3.0 log(distance in km)Due to the limitations described above (distance and maximum size of measurable earthquake), it has since been replaced by the Moment Magnitude Scale in the measurement of large earthquakes - for information on this, please see the related question.the richter scale reads the magnitude of earthquake.
What is the difference between a seismograph and the Richter scale?
Seismic waves are the vibrations from earthquakes that travel through the Earth; they are recorded on instruments called seismographs. Seismographs record a zig-zag trace that shows the varying amplitude of ground oscillations beneath the instrument. Sensitive seismographs, which greatly magnify these ground motions, can detect strong earthquakes from sources anywhere in the world. The time, locations, and magnitude of an earthquake can be determined from the data recorded by seismograph stations. The Richter magnitude scale was developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter of the California Institute of Technology as a mathematical device to compare the size of earthquakes. The magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the logarithm of the amplitude of waves recorded by seismographs.
What can the Richter scale tell us when it is used to compare earthquackes?
A richter's scale shows the intensity of an earth quake on a scale from 0-10. The greater the number, the more the intensity of the earth quake which leads to more destruction of life and property
What part of speech is compare in?
Compare is a verb.
What part of speech is compare?
Compare is a verb.
Compare the Hanshin earthquake and the Chinese earthquake?
The Hanshin earthquake occurred in Japan while the Chinese earthquake obviously occurred in China.
How do California and Nevada compare in possible severity of earthquake damage?
They can compare because there is a 3 in both of the states which means major earthquake damage.
Compare and contrast aftershocks and foreshocks?
An aftershock is a small earthquake that follows the main earthquake, while a foreshock is a small earthquake that often precedes, leads to, a major earthquake.
What was the cause of the earthquake compare it with recent earthquake in japan?
many people died and their were many thing lost and drowned
How do you compare one earthquake to another?
Via the Richter magnitude scale
How do scientist compare the size of an earthquake to the size of another one?
The richer scale
How does the energy released by an earthquake compare to the energy of a nuclear weapon?
* Earthquake Richter 5.0 = 32 kilotons nuclear weapon, like was used at Nagasaki * Earthquake Richter 6.0 = 1 megaton nuclear weapon * Earthquake Richter 7.0 = 32 megaton nuclear weapon * Earthquake Richter 7.1 = 50 megaton nuclear weapon, Tsar Bomba, the largest nuclear weapon ever tested * Earthquake Richter 8.0 = 1 gigaton nuclear weapon, much larger than anything ever made
How do hydrogen bounds compare with other intermolecular forces?
Hydrogen bonds are much stronger than other intermolecular forces.
How do seismologists determine an earthquake's starting time?
To calculate an earthquake's starting time, seismologists compare seismograms and note the differences in arrival times of P and S waves.
Compare the number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms present in glycerol?
Glycerol C3H8O3 has three Carbon, eight Hydrogen and three Oxygen.
Why is it important to establish a baseline before performing an hydrogen peroxide decomposition?
to compare the results
What compare and contrast a hydrogen ion and a hydroxide ion?
i'm not sure the comparison, but the contrast is hydrogen loses electrons while hydroxide gains electrons.
