Final answer:
An earthquake of magnitude 3.6 is 63 times more intense than an earthquake of magnitude 1.8, due to the logarithmic scale of earthquake magnitude where each whole number increase corresponds to a tenfold increase in amplitude. The correct option is d.
Step-by-step explanation:
The intensity of an earthquake is measured on a logarithmic scale, which means that a one-point increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the amplitude of the earthquake waves. Therefore to find out how much more intense an earthquake of magnitude 3.6 is compared to one of magnitude 1.8, you need to consider the difference in magnitude, which is 3.6 - 1.8 = 1.8.
To determine the relative intensity, raise 10 to the power of the difference in magnitude: 101.8, which is approximately 63. Therefore, an earthquake of magnitude 3.6 is 63 times more intense than an earthquake of magnitude 1.8.
Hence, Option d is correct.