CHILE EARTHQUAKE

[lesgiu]

I have read some news. There was said that the earthquake was 700-800 times stronger than Haiti's, but I do not believe it. As far as I know 1 grade = 31 times stronger. In Haiti the magnitude was 7.1, in Chile is 8.8 so this means 8.8/7.11*31=38 times stronger. In Haiti was a dissaster. I couldn't imagine what could happen here in Bulgaria after 8.8 earthquake.
It is good that the earthquake was short - only 10-30 seconds. I saw some pictures where the damages are less than these in Turkey several years ago. I hope that there won't be many victims.

The earthquake is about 300-400 times stronger. The magnitude scale is logarithmic so the difference between the 2 earthquakes is 10 exp(1.5(8.8-7.1))=350

The earthquake is about 500 times stronger.
From 7.0 to 8.0 is 32 times stronger
Then from 8.8 to 7.0 is 16 times stronger.
So the earthquake is 32x16=500 aprox times stronger.

[oinostro]

Image of disaster...

[BennyP]

Using Wikipedia (edited)

Richter magnitudes

The Richter magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the logarithm of the amplitude of waves recorded by seismographs (adjustments are included to compensate for the variation in the distance between the various seismographs and the epicenter of the earthquake).

Because of the logarithmic basis of the scale, each whole number increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude; in terms of energy, each whole number increase corresponds to an increase of about 31.6 times the amount of energy released, and each increase of 0.2 corresponds to a doubling of the energy released.

Events with magnitudes of about 4.6 or greater are strong enough to be recorded by any of the seismographs in the world, given that the seismograph's sensors are not located in an earthquake's shadow.

The following describes the typical effects of earthquakes of various magnitudes near the epicenter. This table should be taken with extreme caution, since intensity and thus ground effects depend not only on the magnitude, but also on the distance to the epicenter, the depth of the earthquake's focus beneath the epicenter, and geological conditions (certain terrains can amplify seismic signals).

Great earthquakes occur once a year, on average. The largest recorded earthquake was the Great Chilean Earthquake of May 22, 1960 which had a magnitude (MW) of 9.5.

The following table lists the approximate energy equivalents in terms of TNT explosive force - though note that the energy here is that of the underground energy release (i.e. a small atomic bomb blast will not simply cause light shaking of indoor items) rather than the overground energy release. Most energy from an earthquake is not transmitted to and through the surface; instead, it dissipates into the crust and other subsurface structures.

[chigozie]

The Chilean earthquake and its consequences compare to that of Haiti is a pointer to the fact that civil engineering could do a lot to better humans life. Comparing the intensities of the earthquakes and the lost that accompanied them, we cannot but accept the fact that earthquakes do not kill, but poorly constructed structures do (kill).
The fate of the Haitian are tied to poverty, as such inability to design, construct and enforce the right building regulations.
I wish that God consoles all that had some losses to count in both unfortunate incidences.
Regards
teddy

[Dell_Brett]

Dramatic images of Chile's earthquake:

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