moment magnitude scale
E77268
The moment magnitude scale is a modern logarithmic measure of earthquake size that estimates the total energy released, providing more accurate and consistent results than older magnitude scales for large events.
Aliases (1)
- Mw scale ×2
Statements (44)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
earthquake magnitude scale
→
logarithmic scale → seismic magnitude scale → |
| alsoKnownAs |
Mw scale
→
moment magnitude → |
| appliesTo |
intraplate earthquakes
→
subduction zone earthquakes → tectonic earthquakes → |
| assumes |
elastic deformation of the Earth
→
|
| basisFor |
global earthquake catalogs
→
|
| comparedWith |
body-wave magnitude scale
→
local magnitude scale → surface-wave magnitude scale → |
| correlatesWith |
average slip on the fault
→
fault rupture area → rigidity of the rocks → |
| developedBy |
Hiroo Kanamori
→
Thomas C. Hanks → |
| doesNotSaturateFor |
very large earthquakes
→
|
| hasMathematicalBasis |
seismic moment tensor
→
|
| hasProperty |
each unit increase corresponds to about 32 times more energy release
→
|
| introducedFor |
overcoming saturation of older magnitude scales
→
|
| introducedIn |
1970s
→
|
| isApproximatelyEqualTo |
Richter magnitude for moderate earthquakes
→
|
| isDefinedFrom |
seismic moment M0
→
|
| isGlobalStandard |
for reporting earthquake magnitude since late 20th century
→
|
| isLogarithmicWithBase |
10
→
|
| isPartOf |
seismology
→
|
| isPreferredOver |
Richter scale in modern seismology
→
|
| isStandardFor |
reporting large earthquake magnitudes
→
|
| isUsedBy |
global seismic monitoring agencies
→
seismologists → |
| measures |
earthquake size
→
seismic moment → |
| provides |
more accurate estimates for large earthquakes than the Richter scale
→
more consistent results across different earthquake types → |
| quantifies |
total energy released by an earthquake
→
|
| relatedTo |
Gutenberg–Richter law
→
|
| replaced |
Richter magnitude scale for large earthquakes
→
|
| symbol |
Mw
→
|
| unit |
dimensionless
→
|
| usedBy |
Global Centroid Moment Tensor Project
→
United States Geological Survey → |
| usedToEstimate |
tsunami potential from large earthquakes
→
|
Referenced by (6)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Richter magnitude scale
→
Richter magnitude scale ("Mw scale") → |
supersededBy |
|
moment magnitude scale
("Mw scale")
→
|
alsoKnownAs |
|
Mercalli intensity scale
→
|
differentFrom |
|
2010 Chile earthquake
→
|
magnitudeScale |
|
Richter magnitude scale
→
|
oftenConfusedWith |