đź•‘ Reading time: 1 minute
RELATION BETWEEN EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE AND ENERGY RELEASED
An earthquake of magnitude 8.2 releases 1000 times more energy than the earthquake of magnitude of 6.2 and 32 times more than the magnitude of 7.2.
A table below gives the relation between magnitude change and energy released during earthquake.
| Magnitude change | Energy released |
| 2.0 | 1000 times |
| 1.0 | 32 times |
| 0.5 | 5.5 times |
| 0.3 | 3 times |
| 0.1 | 1.4 times |
On 26 December 2004, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 off Sumatra released 11000 times the energy released by Latur (Maharashtra, India) earthquake of magnitude 6.3 in the year 1993 and about 1400 times that in Bhuj of magnitude 6.9 in the year 2001.
Amount of energy released and focal length are the key factors in destruction due to earthquake. This energy released causes collapse of buildings.