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The formula above made it much easier to estimate the energy-based magnitude M w , but it changed the fundamental nature of the scale into a moment magnitude scale. USGS seismologist Thomas C. Hanks noted that Kanamori's M w scale was very similar to a relationship between M L and M 0 that was reported by Thatcher & Hanks (1973)
The original "body-wave magnitude" – mB or m B (uppercase "B") – was developed by Gutenberg 1945c and Gutenberg & Richter 1956 [25] to overcome the distance and magnitude limitations of the M L scale inherent in the use of surface waves. mB is based on the P and S waves, measured over a longer period, and does not saturate until around M 8.
The Richter scale [1] (/ ˈ r ɪ k t ər /), also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale, [2] is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Richter in collaboration with Beno Gutenberg, and presented in Richter's landmark 1935 paper, where he called it the "magnitude scale". [3]
The parameter b (commonly referred to as the "b-value") is commonly close to 1.0 in seismically active regions. This means that for a given frequency of magnitude 4.0 or larger events there will be 10 times as many magnitude 3.0 or larger quakes and 100 times as many magnitude 2.0 or larger quakes.
Seismic moment is the basis of the moment magnitude scale introduced by Caltech's Thomas C. Hanks and Hiroo Kanamori, which is often used to compare the size of different earthquakes and is especially useful for comparing the sizes of large (great) earthquakes. The seismic moment is not restricted to earthquakes.
Magnitude scales measure the inherent force or strength of an earthquake – an event occurring at greater or lesser depth. (The "M w" scale is widely used.) The MM scale measures intensity of shaking, at any particular location, on the surface. It was developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902.
The formula to calculate surface wave magnitude is: [3] = + (), where A is the maximum particle displacement in surface waves (vector sum of the two horizontal displacements) in μm, T is the corresponding period in s (usually 20 ± 2 seconds), Δ is the epicentral distance in °, and
The original "body-wave magnitude" – mB or m B (uppercase "B") – was developed by Gutenberg (1945b, 1945c) and Gutenberg & Richter (1956) [2] to overcome the distance and magnitude limitations of the M L scale inherent in the use of surface waves. mB is based on the P- and S-waves, measured over a longer period, and does not saturate until ...