Prof. Dutch on earthquake in Japan

UW-Green Bay Prof. Steve Dutch (Natural and Applied Sciences) gave a detailed explanation to WBAY-TV last Friday about how much an earthquake’s energy grows as it climbs in magnitude. Dutch says as an earthquake grows in magnitude, its strength multiplies significantly. According to the story, the magnitude 8.9 earthquake in Japan is 900 to 1,000 times stronger than a 6.9-magnitude quake. “It’s a lot more energy, and it means two things: Number one, there’s much stronger ground shaking; and, number two, the length of the fault that breaks during the earthquake is much greater,” Dutch told the station. For more visit WBAY-TV’s website.