Earthquake duration magnitude (Md) for earthquakes recorded on short-period vertical seismographs. Numerous studies determined the relation between coda duration and magnitude for different regions of the World. According to a recent study by Mandal et al. (2004), previous studies showed that duration magnitude estimation is quite stable for local earthquakes ranging from magnitude Md 0.0 to 5.0. In two most recent investigations using statistically stable samples for Italian earthquakes [approximately 100,000 events over the period 1981-2002 in the Richter local [ML] magnitude range of 3.5-5.8] and for Indian earthquakes exemplified by an aftershock sequence of 121 events with (surface wave magnitude) > 4.0
Seismic magnitude scales times. As originally defined by m was based on the maximum amplitude of waves in the first 10 seconds or more. However, the length of the period influences the magnitude obtained. Early USGS/NEIC practice was to measure on the first second (just the first few P-waves), but since 1978 they measure the first twenty seconds. The modern practice is to measure short-period scale at less than three seconds, while the broadband scale is measured at periods of up to 30 seconds. The regional mb scale – also denoted mb_Lg, mbLg, MLg (USGS), Mn, and m – was developed by for