4.5 earthquake

can you average the Richter scale eventhough each integer is a factor 10 above previous number?

I’m wanting to know if you can average using the mean (X1+X2+X3…Xn)/n of earthquakes using the Richter Scale? The Richter Scale appears numerical but each number actually represents a different set of numbers that increase in factors of ten per integer. Because of this factor can you really average using the statistical formula of “means” to find an average strength of earthquakes. For example: does the average (mean) strength of six earthquakes 4.5,4.6,5.1,6.2,7.1,8.1 = 5.93 or would the value be higher to truly reflect the significant increase in earthquake strength of the last three example values of 6.2, 7.1 & 8.1.

clearly, and average is not appropriate in this case.
consider, most faults produce numerous small quakes, most of which cannot even be felt.
if you were to include them in an average, then the results would be meaningless — assuming you were interested in “what’s normal”.

there are 2 things to consider.

1. time span. a fault that can generate a 9.8 quake once in thousands of years probably shouldn’t use that figure to indicate what kind of quake it’ll produce in the next decade, or century.

2. the maximum sizes that have been produced in the last few centuries or so.

math just isn’t particularly useful in this case — to anyone.
it doesn’t help the science at all.
it doesn’t tell people whether they should want to live there.
it doesn’t tell designers what they need to design buildings to withstand.

the best example i can think of offhand is for engineering.
if the average is 7, because you’ve had maybe, 6, 7, and 8, then a 25% safety factor indicates a design able to withstand about 7.4
that’s not likely to be a good choice.

since you didn’t indicate why you’re interested, it doesn’t make much sense for me to guess.

(i do like your id though, since i don’t live too far away.)
have a good day.

Chatsworth Earthquake – Aug 9 2007