Problems 135 and 136 use the following discussion: The Richter scale is one way of converting seismographic readings into numbers that provide an easy reference for measuring the magnitude M of an earthquake. All earthquakes are compared to a zero-level earthquake whose seismographic reading measures 0.001 millimeter at a distance of 100 kilometers from the epicenter. An earthquake whose seismographic reading measures x millimeters has magnitude M(x), given by

where x₀ = 10⁻³ is the reading of a zero-level earthquake the same distance from its epicenter. In Problems 135 and 136, determine the magnitude of each earthquake.

San Francisco in 1906: seismographic reading of 50,119 millimeters 100 kilometers from the center

Transcribed Image Text:

M(x) = log x Хо