The Nepal earthquake magnitude was 7.9 on which scale?

• A. 7.0 on the Richter scale.
• B. 7.9 on the Richter scale.
• C. 5.4 on the Richter scale.
• D. 9.0 on the Richter scale.

Answer: (B)

Magnitude measures the energy released by an earthquake and is reported on a logarithmic scale, so each whole-number step represents a big increase in energy. The Nepal earthquake is widely cited as about 7.9 on the scale that’s often referred to in everyday language as the Richter scale (though scientists typically use moment magnitude for large quakes). That figure matches the commonly reported data for this event, making it the best fit among the options. The other numbers imply much smaller or far larger quakes than what was observed: 7.0 would be noticeably smaller, 5.4 even more so, and 9.0 would indicate an exceptionally more energetic event than occurred.