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Earthquake magnitude & energy comparison calculator

Compare two earthquake magnitudes and compute the energy ratio using E2/E1 = 10^{1.5(M2 - M1)} with an intuitive explanation.

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A +1 step in magnitude is about 32x energy; +2 steps is about 1000x.

Inputs

Typical magnitudes range from 0.0 to 10.0. Use decimals if needed.
Typical magnitudes range from 0.0 to 10.0. Use decimals if needed.

Example: M1 = 5.0 and M2 = 7.0 show roughly a 1,000x energy difference.

How to use (3 steps)

  1. Enter the magnitudes M1 and M2 for the two earthquakes (0.0–10.0).
  2. Press Compute to validate the inputs and calculate the energy ratio.
  3. Read the summary, detail table, log-scale bars, and calculation steps. Copy URL saves the current inputs.

Results

Comparison summary

Magnitude +1 is about 32x energy; +2 is about 1000x.

Earthquake 1 magnitude (M1) —
Earthquake 2 magnitude (M2) —
Magnitude difference ΔM —
Energy ratio E2/E1 —
Energy ratio E1/E2 —
log10(E2/E1) —
Order of magnitude —
Earthquake 1 energy (relative) —
Earthquake 2 energy (relative) —

Bar length shows energy on a log scale relative to each quake.

How it is calculated

    FAQ

    How many times does energy increase when magnitude rises by 1?

    A one-step increase in magnitude corresponds to about 32 times more released energy, based on the approximation E2/E1 = 10^{1.5(M2 - M1)}.

    What about a magnitude difference of 2?

    A difference of 2 implies E2/E1 = 10^{1.5*2} ≈ 10^3, or roughly one thousand times more energy. This tool computes that automatically.

    Does a larger magnitude always mean greater damage?

    Magnitude shows the energy released, but damage depends on depth, distance, local soil, and building strength. Similar magnitudes can lead to very different impacts.

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