Exploring Earthquake Magnitude and Depth

Magnitude and depth are two basic features of an earthquake that are important for understanding plate tectonics as well as earthquake hazard. Typically, the shallower the earthquake and larger the magnitude, the more potential for destruction.

In the two interactive figures below, we will explore relationships between earthquake magnitude and depth using what’s called “linking and brushing”. Selecting data in one figure will highlight the corresponding points in the other. This technique is useful for grasping complex multidimensional datasets.

For our purposes, this allows us to select earthquakes in the map and see where they fall in magnitude-depth space. It also works the other way around – select earthquakes of a desired magnitude and depth to see where they occur on the map.

TIP: Data in the two figures below are linked. Highlight points in one using the “Box Select” or “Lasso Select” tool to see where they occur in the other.

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Bokeh Plot