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No matter what scale is used, quakes are detected using devices called seismographs, which measure ground motion and produce images showing how these vibrations travel over time.
Apr 24, 2024 · To determine the intensity of an earthquake, reports are collected about what people felt and how much damage was done. The reports are then used to assign intensity ratings to regions where the earthquake was felt.
The Richter scale measures the largest wiggle (amplitude) on the recording, but other magnitude scales measure different parts of the earthquake. The USGS currently reports earthquake magnitudes using the Moment Magnitude scale , though many other magnitudes are calculated for research and comparison purposes.
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Detailed Description. Earthquake Intensity Scale (Abridged). The Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale is composed of increasing levels of intensity that range from imperceptible shaking to catastrophic destruction; levels of intensity are designated by Roman numerals.
For earthquakes that occurred between about 1890 (when modern seismographs came into use) and 1935 when Charles Richter developed the magnitude scale, people went back to the old records and compared the seismograms from those days with similar records for later earthquakes.
There are many scales for intensity, but the United States commonly uses the Modified Mercalli scale. The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale is a qualitative scale (I-XII) of the intensity of ground shaking based on damage to structures and people’s perceptions (Figure 10.3.8).
Apr 24, 2024 · This is known as intensity. Intensity values are assigned to locations, rather than to the earthquake itself, and therefore intensity can vary widely, depending on the proximity to the earthquake and the types of materials underneath and the local conditions.
