3 ms·

If you were speaking of a solar power installation you would say, for example, a 300 MW installation -- honoring Watt. Why, then, a M8.2 earthquake? Why not a

• ineedasername 5y ago
  Speaking of Watts, is there any way to translate the magnitude M for an earthquake into an equivalent MW of energy?
  • dragonwriter 5y ago
    > Speaking of Watts, is there any way to translate the magnitude M for an earthquake into an equivalent MW of energy? No, because while if other parameters are the same moment magnitude is logarithmic in energy, the other parameters differ between real earthquakes.
• spchampion2 5y ago
  Because the magnitude is no longer defined using the original Richter scale. Earthquake magnitudes are now defined using a similar scale called the moment magnitude scale. Also watts are an SI unit of power, whereas Richters are not a unit of earthquake. It's just the name for the scale itself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seismic_magnitude_scales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seismic_magnitude_scales
  • pmdulaney 5y ago
    Wow. I wonder if any local news station has ever said, "That earthquake with an epicenter in Whittier was a 4.5 on the moment magnitude scale." Thank you.
    • olyjohn 5y ago
      Don't they usually say "It was a magnitude 4.5 quake?"
    • jobigoud 5y ago
      > Whittier That's the town where everyone lives in the same building right?
      • pmdulaney 5y ago
        No, you're thinking of the little town in Alaska. Whittier is a suburb of Los Angeles -- where Nixon was born, I believe.