CNN Video: Columbia Univ. seismologist says Japan quake was "hundreds of times worse than Haiti"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Columbia Univ. seismologist Jim Gaherty compares the event in Japan to other recent large quakes and tsunamis: http://cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2011/03/11/exp.ac.gaherty.compares.quake.cnn

[FBaggins]

1. So we need a seismologist to do basic math?

One is reported at a 7.0 and the other is reported as a 9.1 (the highest I've seen reported for it). That gets you most of the way before we even talk about duration of type of quake.

[msongs]

2. 7.0 is the highest number on the Japanese rating scale, not related to the other scale used nt

[FBaggins]

3. Sorry... I don't understand your point

These are both on the same scale.

[somone]

4. The Japanese "shindo" scale is different

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2116.html

The Japanese "shindo" scale for measuring earthquakes is more commonly used in Japan than the Richter scale to describe earthquakes. Shindo refers to the intensity of an earthquake at a given location, i.e. what people actually feel at a given location, while the Richter scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake, i.e. the energy an earthquake releases at the epicenter.

The shindo scale ranges from shindo one, a slight earthquake felt only by people who are not moving, to shindo seven, a severe earthquake. Shindo two to four are still minor earthquakes that do not cause damage, while objects start to fall at shindo five, and heavier damage occurs at shindo six and seven.

[FBaggins]

5. Neither of the reported figures is ON the "shindo" scale.

Both are Richter figures.

It's the difference between rating a hurricane by "category". Five may be the highest number on the scale, but both a 160mph storm that's 200-miles wide and a 195 mph storm five times as wide will be "cat 5" storms... but there's still a big difference.

[KG]

6. it would seem 'worse' is relative.