The magnitude just depends on the earthquake's total energy, the more energy released by an earthquake, the

higher the magnitude.

It may be expressed using several magnitude scales. One of these is called the Richter scale.
And it’s already been discussed by the previous reporter.

Unfortunately, many scales, such as the Richter scale, do not provide accurate estimates for large magnitude
earthquakes.
Today the moment magnitude scale is preferred because it works over a wider range of earthquake sizes and is
applicable globally.
But before we move on Let’s differentiate the magnitude and intensity, what’s the difference between this two.

Magnitude / Intensity Comparison

Magnitude and Intensity measures different characteristics of earthquakes. Magnitude measures the energy
released at the source of the earthquake. Magnitude is determined from measurements on seismographs. Intensity
measures the strength of shaking produced by the earthquake at a certain location.
For example, imagine this whole cea building and that whole education building separates by different region. An
earthquake occurred and the origin is in between or exactly at the middle of these two. Let’s say that the recorded
earthquake magnitude is about 9.0. The education building collapse while this cea building standing still. So the region
where the education building collapse should have the greater intensity than in this region.
Because the
Intensity is determined from effects on people, human structures, and the natural environment. The modified
mercalli scale is used to measure the intensity and was already discussed by the previous reporter.

Moving up a level of magnitude means that the strength of the earthquake multiplies, in this case, by a factor of
about 31. The energy of a magnitude 4 earthquake is 31 times the energy of a magnitude 3 earthquake. The energy of a
magnitude 5 earthquake is 31 times the energy of a magnitude 4 earthquake.

So how strong this 9.0 8.5 magnitude etc.

These shows the magnitude with the equivalent energy and kilograms of explosive. So if you observed the
energy released multiplies not exactly but pretty close 31 times as I said earlier.

Seismic waves are waves of energy that travel through the Earth's layers, and are a result of an earthquake,
explosion, or a volcano that gives out low-frequency acoustic energy. Many other natural and anthropogenic sources
create low-amplitude waves commonly referred to as ambient vibrations.

Seismographs record a zigzag trace that shows how the ground shakes beneath the instrument.
Sensitive seismographs, which greatly magnify these ground motions, can detect strong earthquakes from
sources anywhere in the world.