Compare Two Magnitudes.
A jump of one on the Richter scale is 10× the ground-motion amplitude and about 32× the radiated energy. This calculator helps visualize the big difference between two magnitudes.
Magnitude Comparison
Richter-style amplitude is 10× per unit. Radiated energy is ~32× per unit. Those are different logarithms.
How much bigger is B than A?
Amplitude B/A
100×
10^ΔM · wiggle height
Energy B/A
1,000×
10^(1.5 ΔM) · radiated Es
ΔM (B − A)·+2.0
Shared log scale — 1× at center; energy outruns amplitude
How many A quakes match one B in energy
1,000× (tiles capped at 64)
Quake B alone (not a ratio)
Radiated energy Es
7.94×10¹⁴ J
TNT equivalent (order of magnitude)
189.85 kt TNT
Seismic moment M₀
4.03×10¹⁹ N·m
Same station, amplitude ∝ 10^M
This plot shows amplitude — how tall the wiggle is. The larger quake fills the frame; the smaller is drawn 0.01× as tall. Height scales by 10× per magnitude unit. Energy is steeper: about 32× more radiated energy for each +1 magnitude, so a modest height gap can hide a much larger energy jump.
Two slopes vs ΔM
Both curves start at 1× when ΔM = 0. Amplitude rises as 10^ΔM (slope 1 on this log plot). Energy rises as 10^(1.5 ΔM) (slope 1.5) — steeper, so it peels away. Your pair sits at ΔM = +2.0.
Limitations
- Original Richter magnitude (ML) is a local Wood-Anderson amplitude. It saturates above ~M 6.5. Energy and moment here treat the number as moment magnitude Mw.
- Amplitude ratio assumes the same distance and instrument. Felt intensity (MMI) is not magnitude.
- Es = 10^(1.5M + 4.4) J is Kanamori’s radiated-energy estimate, not total strain energy on the fault. TNT is an order-of-magnitude metaphor only.
The Math
Magnitude is a logarithm of size. Amplitude and energy use different slopes on that log, which is why +1 looks modest on a seismogram and enormous in joules.
Amplitude
A ∝ 10^M
Richter local magnitude ML, same station and instrument. Ratio B/A = 10^(ΔM). Each +1 is 10×.
Radiated energy
log₁₀(Es) = 1.5M + 4.4
Kanamori (1977), Es in joules. Ratio B/A = 10^(1.5 ΔM) ≈ 31.6× per unit.
Seismic moment
M₀ = 10^(1.5(Mw + 6.07))
Hanks & Kanamori, M₀ in N·m. Energy and moment treat the input as Mw.
TNT equivalent
1 t TNT = 4.184×10⁹ J
Order-of-magnitude metaphor only. Es is radiated seismic energy, not a blast yield.
ML saturates above ~M 6.5. Amplitude ratios assume the same distance. Felt intensity (MMI) is not magnitude.