So How big is a Magnitude 10 Earthquake?!

www.livescience.com...

With all of the end of the world 2012 earthquake doom, I thought it only proper to give everyone an idea of just how big a change occurs as you move up on the Richter scale.

This catchy little graphic video easily explains just how big it really would be using the size of actually historical earthquakes over the years.

Hang on to something, cause this literally would rock your world. LOL

S&F I've been trying to find a scale for some time. Thanks a ton

reply to post by winterkill


When I took a geology class I was told it was impossible due to the scale being logarithmic.

reply to post by winterkill

Well, I'll put it this way..as I understand the charts I've read. If an F-5 Tornado is like the finger of God. Then a mag-10 Quake would be God kicking you in the family jewels......twice.

I hope I don't live to see one, personally.....given how the scale is progressive as it rises.

Hey.. I found a 9.5!

The Valdivia Earthquake

Tsunami Wave Graph

I really hope I never live to see one. Especially not in my area. Nightmare wouldn't cover it if the New Madrid decided it wanted to set records or something.

I think it would be strong enough to give an adult shaken baby syndrome. Am I wrong?

So does it top off at magnitude 10 or can we see a magnitude 14 eq some day?

Very informative.

I just taught my 12 year old something besides whats been blasted over the news the last few days.
zs
Thank you.

reply to post by jhn7537


Yeah, when the earth gets hit by a 10 mile wide asteroid.

You know a Magnitude 10+ is about to hit when this music is starts to play..



By the end of it, the world you know will be gone.

Lol I happen to be listening to this when I saw the question.. perfect Mag 10 music.

Nice animation too, really give a good understanding of how much more powerful one is from the last. I'm not a Seismologist, but there are people that brush off anything under a 7 Mag as if it's nothing.

reply to post by Mizzijr


A 7 can be devastating. Not because of the shear power of it, but because of buildings not being up to those standards.

Its hard to imagine that the largest on the video, the 9.5 would be dwarfed by the 9.8 that created the tsunami that killed 250,000 by...33x and then that multiplied by 33x greater and all that again by 33x.

The big ten would then be 33 times greater than a 9.9.

Where would you not feel that?

I think if Yellowstone popped off the whole world would feel it. volcano's are stronger and more dangerous to us then earthquakes. If we have a mega volcano like Yellowstone, it would be an extinction level event for all but bunker-ed souls. A 10 would be devastating no doubt, but mega volcanoes are where the doom lies.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by winterkill

 

Well, I'll put it this way..as I understand the charts I've read. If an F-5 Tornado is like the finger of God. Then a mag-10 Quake would be God kicking you in the family jewels......twice.

I hope I don't live to see one, personally.....given how the scale is progressive as it rises.

Hey.. I found a 9.5!

The Valdivia Earthquake

Tsunami Wave Graph

I really hope I never live to see one. Especially not in my area. Nightmare wouldn't cover it if the New Madrid decided it wanted to set records or something.

edit on 17-12-2012 by Wrabbit2000 because: (no reason given)

A meteor impact or collision with another celestial body would produce 10+ magnitude quakes, easily.

Originally posted by winterkill
Its hard to imagine that the largest on the video, the 9.5 would be dwarfed by the 9.8 that created the tsunami that killed 250,000 by...33x and then that multiplied by 33x greater and all that again by 33x.

The big ten would then be 33 times greater than a 9.9.

Where would you not feel that?

Going by that it would be...

39135393x stronger then the 9.5...

Id say that would be more or less an extinction level event ... a real globe splitter.

So I dont think any of us will be around to experience a mag 10. Thankfully... and if we did, it would be over pretty quick. Small mercies i guess.

We'll find out how big a Mag 10 quake is shortly, I predict it will be around Feb/march

This scale is kinda bad from the point of view of real impact for us because Richter just describe the power of earthquake AT the point of origin. It doesn't translate well what effect it will produce to the human environment (houses, buildings et cetera)

The best scale in my option is the Shindo Scale
en.wikipedia.org...

because it take in account the impact it will produce to the humans AKA at Earth surface. In japanese media when there is an earthquake it always show the shindo scale for the people have a good idea of what can happen.

Mag 10 earthquake is kinda "bad". Ground would move 10 times more than in Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004 (which was 9.0). It would release 32x more energy.

Originally posted by nrd101
I think if Yellowstone popped off the whole world would feel it. volcano's are stronger and more dangerous to us then earthquakes. If we have a mega volcano like Yellowstone, it would be an extinction level event for all but bunker-ed souls. A 10 would be devastating no doubt, but mega volcanoes are where the doom lies.

Not just Yellowstone. There is 5 Supervolcanoes in North America that could trigger the extinction level event.
- Island Park Caldera VEI-8, last eruption 2,1 million years ago
- La Garita Caldera VEI-8, last eruption 27,8 million years ago
- Yellowstone Caldera VEI-8, last eruption 640,000 years ago
- Long Valley Caldera VEI-7, last eruption 760,000 years ago
- Valles Caldera VEI-7, last eruption 1,12 million years ago

Island Park Caldera is right next to the Yellowstone, they are dangerous since if other erupts, other could erupt as well. La Garita is thought to be most dangerous supervolcano, its eruption is one of most energetic events that have happened on Earth. Its eruption was equivalent with 5,000 Tsar Bombas, or 240 000 Megatons of TNT. Good thing is that its now thought to be extinct, but you never know for sure.

And of course there is 3 Supervolcanoes in Europe, 5 in Asia and 5 in Southeast Asia/Oceania area.

and we are all moving to Canada.