Magnitude of the 2011 Japan earthquake on moment magnitude scale is 9.0.
The use of the Richter magnitude scale has largely been replaced by the moment magnitude scale in most countries. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), for example, uses the moment magnitude scale designated as MMS or Mw to measure all large earthquakes.
UPDATE: Official magnitude was updated to 9.1 on Nov 7, 2016.
the moment magnitude scale rates an earthquake by estimating the total energy released during an earthquake
There are a number of earthquake magnitude scales, including the moment magnitude scale (the scale currently favoured by seismologists), the Richter or local magnitude scale and the surface wave magnitude scale.
The moment magnitude scale is more accurate for large earthquake than can cause damage.
There are two The Richter Scale and the Moment Scale.
The moment magnitude scale (MW) provides an estimate of the total energy released in an earthquake and is currently the preferred magnitude scale in use by seismologists for measuring large (magnitude greater than 7) earthquakes.
the moment magnitude scale rates an earthquake by estimating the total energy released during an earthquake
The magnitude of the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, was 6.3 on the Richter scale.
to rate an earthquake
An earthquake's magnitude is a measure of how strong it is
The strength of an earthquake is measured by its magnitude, which indicates the amount of energy released at the earthquake's source. Earthquake magnitude is typically reported on the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale.
Geologists use the moment magnitude scale (Mw) to rate the magnitude of an earthquake today. This scale takes into account the seismic moment, which provides a more precise measurement of an earthquake's size compared to the Richter scale.
The magnitude of an earthquake is caluated to measure the amount of energy released during the earthquake.
The size of an earthquake is defined by its magnitude, which measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake. Magnitude is typically reported on the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale.
to rate an earthquake
The energy of an earthquake is measured using the moment magnitude scale (Mw). This scale quantifies the total energy released during an earthquake by assessing the seismic moment, which is related to the fault rupture area and the average slip along the fault.
The Moment Magnitude scale.
There are a number of earthquake magnitude scales, including the moment magnitude scale (the scale currently favoured by seismologists), the Richter or local magnitude scale and the surface wave magnitude scale.