Magnitude is a measurement of the size of the earthquake as measured by waves or fault displacement.Magnitude and intensity are both measurements that are done when an earthquake occurs.The intensity of an earthquake is often affected by the distance from the epicenter and often is less further from the epicenter. The magnitude of an earthquake is not affected by distance from the epicenter, it stays the same. Intensity is a more subjective measure of an earthquake. Magnitude is a more objective measure of an earthquake. Intensity is measured using the Rossi-Farel, Modified Mercalli, or European Macroseismic scales. Magnitude is most often measured using either the Richter scale (local magnitude) or moment magnitude. The intensity measurement is based on the extent and type of damage that is evident. The magnitude measurement is based on the greatest amplitude of the shear waves or the amount of displacement of a fault. The earliest scale used to determine intensity was the Ross-Forel scale developed in the 19 th century. The earliest scale used to determine magnitude was the Richter scale developed in 1935. Intensity can be measured by determining how much movement a person feels and how much damage has occurred. Magnitude can be measured by taking a measurement of the highest amplitude of the shear waves, or by recording how much a fault has been displaced. Intensity is a measure of how badly the ground shakes when an earthquake happens. Magnitude is really a measurement of how large an earthquake is. Other areas affected by the same earthquake were assessed on the Mercalli scale to have an Intensity of VIII.ĭifference between Magnitude vs. The Loma Prieta earthquake which occurred in California in 1989 was measured and estimated to have a maximum intensity of IX, meaning there was very violent shaking. Many European countries use the European Macroseismic Scale which has levels from I to XII. The Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale is used in the United States and is based on the extent of damage caused by the earthquake to both natural and man-made structures in the landscape. Complicating the issue is the fact that different countries may choose to use different scales. There are other types of scales such as the European Macroseismic Scale which are used. The Modified Mercalli scale was developed to replace the RF scale which was thought by some scientists to not be very good. The Rossi-Forel scale and the Modified Mercalli scale are two of the ways that the intensity of an earthquake is assessed. It was developed in the 19 th century and had levels ranging from I to X, with corresponding levels of damage that would be noticed at each of these levels. The Rossi-Forel (RF) scale was one of the earliest scales developed to measure the intensity of earthquakes. The way in which intensity is measured relies on how much damage is caused and is visible after an earthquake has occurred. It can be seen as a measure of how strong an earthquake is since it measures how severe the shaking is, which is affected by many factors including the type of geology of an area. Intensity is a measure that is often used in geology to describe how much shaking is happening when an earthquake occurs. The Loma Prieta earthquake which occurred in California in 1989 was measured and said to be of magnitude 6.9. Today the most often used scale is the moment magnitude as it is believed to be the most accurate estimate of the size of a particular earthquake. Scientists have suggested that knowing the various parameters of a typical fault can be used to more accurately assess the amount of displacement and hence the magnitude of an earthquake. The Mw is calculated based on how big the area of a fault is that has ruptured. Various scales have been used including the Richter magnitude, also known as the local magnitude (ML) and moment magnitude (Mw). Over the years there have been several ways to measure the magnitude of an earthquake, with the development of various scales. This value was then converted to a logarithmic value. This was measured as the greatest amplitude of particular waves known as shear waves. One of the earliest measures of magnitude for earthquakes was developed by Richter in 1935 and was based on the maximum amplitude of waves seen on a seismograph reading. Magnitude is often measured as the greatest amount of movement that takes place or the largest amount of fault area that has moved. With earthquakes, there is a lot of movement that occurs. Magnitude is a measure of size that is often used in geology to describe the size of an earthquake and is also believed to be a measure of the amount of energy that is released when an earthquake takes place. Intensity is a way to measure how strongly the shaking is due to an earthquake. Magnitude is a way to measure the size of a particular earthquake.
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