06-23-2014, 07:20 PM
It seems to me, for the past year or so, many of the world's earthquakes are first reported to be very strong then shortly after "updated" to a MUCH smaller strength. Today's example: M6.9 - RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA to M5.7 - RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
These numbers are VERY different, so I'm curious as to how they can be so far off on the initial reading.
From Wiki: "Thus an earthquake that registers 5.0 on the Richter scale has a shaking amplitude 10 times greater than that of an earthquake that registered 4.0 and thus corresponds to a release of energy 31.6 times greater than that released by the lesser earthquake." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_magnitude_scale
These numbers are VERY different, so I'm curious as to how they can be so far off on the initial reading.
From Wiki: "Thus an earthquake that registers 5.0 on the Richter scale has a shaking amplitude 10 times greater than that of an earthquake that registered 4.0 and thus corresponds to a release of energy 31.6 times greater than that released by the lesser earthquake." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_magnitude_scale