A magnitude 7 is not twice a magnitude 6 — it releases about 32 times more energy. See what the magnitude scale really means and how shaking fades with distance.
Earthquake Magnitude & ShakingLive
energy · attenuation · intensity
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Magnitude is logarithmic in amplitude but each unit releases about 32× more energy (E ∝ 10^1.5M). Shaking at a site falls off with distance through attenuation. Peak ground acceleration maps to the Modified Mercalli intensity people actually feel — a planning estimate, not a site-specific hazard analysis.
Reading this result: 30 km out, an M6 quake attenuates to only ~0.3%g — intensity III-IV Light, felt but rarely damaging. Distance and the log falloff tame most of the 6.3e+13 J released.
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How it works
The moment magnitude scale is logarithmic in ground-motion amplitude, so energy grows as roughly 10^(1.5·M) — each whole step is about a 32-fold jump. Shaking attenuates with distance from the epicenter; peak ground acceleration maps to the Modified Mercalli intensity that people and buildings experience. A conceptual tool, not a site-specific seismic hazard assessment.
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Yes. Earthquake Magnitude & Shaking runs entirely in your browser using your device's own compute, so local use is free forever. You only pay Compute Tokens if you scale a job to the cloud.
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