Official Answer Key & Detailed Solution
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Correct Answer: Option (A) — 1 only
Concept & Option Breakdown
Standard Reference VerifiedStatement 1 is correct: The Richter magnitude scale is base-10 logarithmic, meaning an increase of 1 magnitude unit corresponds to a 10-fold increase in measured wave amplitude. Statement 2 is incorrect: An increase of 1 unit on the magnitude scale corresponds to approximately 31.6 (or roughly 32) times more energy released, not 100 times.
Recall standard seismology: 1 unit magnitude = 10x wave amplitude and ~32x energy release.
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