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Earthquake magnitudes

Developments in the recording and analysis of earthquakes have replaced the traditional Richter magnitude scale with a more precise ‘moment magnitude’ scale. Ron Holt describes how these different scales are defined and used

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The terms in bold link to topics in the AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA A-level specifications, as well as the IB, Pre-U and SQA exam specifications.

Seismic waves from earthquakes travel as longitudinal and transverse waves through Earth and along its surface. The ‘strength’ of an earthquake is calculated on a logarithmic scale from the amplitude of the waves. These waves carry energy that can be hugely damaging. Analysis of the frequency, amplitude and duration of seismic waves allows seismologists to extract detailed information.

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Clues

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The diplomat