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Earthquake intensity scales describe the severity of an earthquake’s effects on the Earth's surface, humans, and buildings at different locations in the area of the epicenter. There can be multiple intensity measurements. The Modified Mercalli Scale measures the amount of shaking at a particular location.
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.
Most scales are based on the amplitude of seismic waves recorded on seismometers. These scales account for the distance between the earthquake and the recording seismometer so that the calculated magnitude should be about the same no matter where it is measured. Another scale is based on the physical size of the earthquake fault and the amount ...
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.
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Apr 19, 2024 · Methodology. Learn how the Richter scale relies on vibration to logarithmically track earth tremors. The Richter scale and how it measures earthquake magnitude. The Richter scale calculates an earthquake's magnitude (size) from the amplitude of the earthquake's largest seismic wave recorded by a seismograph. (more) See all videos for this article.
- John P. Rafferty
Measurement of the severity of an earthquake can be expressed in several ways, but the two most common scales used by seismologists are intensity and magnitude. Earthquake intensity. Intensity is a qualitative measure of the strength of shaking caused by an earthquake determined from the observed effects on people, objects and buildings.
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.
