Is a magnitude 20 earthquake possible?

To produce a magnitude 10.5 earthquake, you’d need a fault length of about 80,000 km. And given that the Earth’s circumference is only about 40,000 km, that would be highly unlikely. With all that considered, a magnitude 20 earthquake seems pretty impossible.

What magnitude earthquake can be felt by humans?

Earthquake Magnitude Scale

Magnitude	Earthquake Effects
2.5 or less	Usually not felt, but can be recorded by seismograph.
2.5 to 5.4	Often felt, but only causes minor damage.
5.5 to 6.0	Slight damage to buildings and other structures.
6.1 to 6.9	May cause a lot of damage in very populated areas.

What would a magnitude 15 earthquake be like?

It would leave nothing standing. Assuming you mean 15 along (a derivative of) the Richter scale, that earthquake would be 500,000 times stronger than the strongest recorded earthquake. It’s also by all accounts impossible, as rocks can’t build up the stress required before permanently deforming.

Can you feel a 1.0 earthquake?

A small earthquake nearby will feel like a small sharp jolt followed by a few stronger sharp shakes that pass quickly. A small earthquake far away will probably not be felt at all, but if you do feel it, it will be a subtle gentle shake or two that is easier to feel if you’re still and sitting down.

What is the difference between magnitude 10 and magnitude 100 earthquakes?

The earthquake magnitude scale is logarithmic. That means a magnitude 9 earthquake is 10x larger than a magnitude 8. A magnitude 10 is 10x bigger than a magnitude 9. And a magnitude 100 would theoretically be 10^90 times bigger than a magnitude 10. But wait, the scale measures seismic moment* not seismic energy. A magnitude 9

How big can an earthquake get?

First, you have to remember that the scale we use to measure earthquakes is exponential. A 4.5 is ten times bigger than a 3.5. That means a 5.5 is 100 times bigger than a 3.5. I remember a 4.5 quake on Vancouver Island that woke me up one morning.

What is the largest earthquake in the world?

The largest earthquake ever recorded was the Great Chilean Earthquake of 22 May 1960. It had a moment magnitude M_w = 9.5. Each magnitude unit is a 10 fold increase in ground motion, but a 31 fold increase in energy release. As events get larger, the energy shifts to lower frequencies, a larger rupture area, and a longer duration.

What would happen if there was a 15 magnitude earthquake?

Assuming you mean 15 along (a derivative of) the Richter scale, that earthquake would be 500,000 times stronger than the strongest recorded earthquake. It’s also by all accounts impossible, as rocks can’t build up the stress required before permanently deforming. The whole world would be devastated – read the answers you have already.