The Richter scale determines the magnitude of the earthquake in question by measuring its seismic waves. While the Richter scale is logarithmic, the Mercalli scale is linear. The measuring tool used in a Richter scale is a seismograph while observation is used on the Mercalli scale.
What are 3 differences between the Richter and Mercalli scales?
Measurement. The Mercalli Intensity Scale measures the intensity of an earthquake by observing its effect on people, the environment and the earth's surface. The Richter Scale measures the energy released by an earthquake using a seismograph.
What is the Mercalli scale used to measure?
earthquake damageThe Mercalli Scale is based on observable earthquake damage. From a scientific standpoint, the magnitude scale is based on seismic records while the Mercalli is based on observable data which can be subjective.
What is the difference between Richter scale and?
The Richter scale is used to rate the magnitude of an earthquake, that is the amount of energy released during an earthquake. On the other hand, a seismograph is an instrument used to detect and record seismic waves.
What does the Mercalli scale not tell you?
The Mercalli intensity scale (or more precisely the Modified Mercalli intensity scale) is a scale to measure the intensity of earthquakes. Unlike with the Richter scale, the Mercalli scale does not take into account energy of an earthquake directly.
What 3 scales are used to measure earthquakes?
Because of the limitations of all three magnitude scales (ML, Mb, and Ms), a new more uniformly applicable extension of the magnitude scale, known as moment magnitude, or Mw, was developed. In particular, for very large earthquakes, moment magnitude gives the most reliable estimate of earthquake size.
What are the advantages of the Richter scale over the Mercalli scale?
The Richter scale is more objective, but the Mercalli scale is subjective. The Mercalli scale bases its measurement on the observed effects of the earthquake and describes its intensity.
Why is Richter scale no longer used?
The Richter Scale was replaced because it worked largely for earthquakes in Southern California, and only those occurring within about 370 miles of seismometers. In addition, the scale was calculated for only one type of earthquake wave.
What is a Richter scale explain?
Richter scale (ML), quantitative measure of an earthquake's magnitude (size), devised in 1935 by American seismologists Charles F. Richter and Beno Gutenberg. The earthquake's magnitude is determined using the logarithm of the amplitude (height) of the largest seismic wave calibrated to a scale by a seismograph.
What do the Richter and Mercalli scales measure?
While the Mercalli scale describes the intensity of an earthquake based on its observed effects, the Richter scale describes the earthquake's magnitude by measuring the seismic waves that cause the earthquake. The two scales have different applications and measurement techniques.
How does the Mercalli scale measure an earthquake quizlet?
The Mercalli Scale describes the intensity of an earthquake bases on its observed effects, while the Richter scale describes the earths magnitude by measuring the seismic waves the cause the earthquakes. The two scales also have different measurement techniques.
What are the Differences Between the Richter and Mercalli Scale?
Richter scale ratings are produced soon after an earthquake occurs as scientists only need to compare the data from various seismograph stations. Mercalli ratings take some time as investigators need to correspond with eyewitnesses to determine the occurrences witnessed during the earth quake. Once the researchers acquire an idea of the range of damage, they can then assign an appropriate rating by use of the Mercalli criteria.
What is the measuring tool used in the Richter scale?
The measuring tool used in a Richter scale is a seismograph while observation is used on the Mercalli scale. The Richter scale is absolute which means that wherever an earthquake is registered, it will have the same measurement on the Richter scale.
Why is the Mercalli scale used?
The scale is mostly used in comparing the devastation caused by earthquakes in different regions.
What is the Richter scale?
The Richter Scale. The Richter scale was unveiled in the 1930s, and it gives a magnitude number to quantify an earthquake's size. The Richter magnitude of a particular earthquake is deduced from the logarithm of the amplitude of the waves recorded by seismographs. Adjustments are made for the difference in distance between individual seismographs ...
What is the highest Mercalli rating?
Mercalli ratings are assigned by Roman numerals. An earthquake which registers low intensity is addressed as an I. The highest rating is a XII, and it denotes an earthquake which devastates structures, triggers natural disasters such as tsunamis, and landslides.
How does an earthquake occur?
An earthquake is the vibration of the Earth's surface which results from rocks of the Earth's crust breaking under stress. Earthquakes typically occur along fault lines that is where tectonic plates collide or slide past one another. The breaking of the rocks releases vibrational energy which radiates in all directions from the focus point. Seismologists use various methods to measure the exact intensity of a particular earthquake.
Which scale determines the intensity of an earthquake?
The Mercalli scale determines the intensity of a particular earthquake by its observed effects. The Richter scale determines the magnitude of the earthquake in question by measuring its seismic waves.
What is the difference between the Richter scale and the Mercalli scale?
It differs from the Richter scale, as the Richter scale measures the amount of energy that is released during an earthquake, whereas the Mercalli scale measures the amount of damage that ...
What scale is used to measure the intensity of an earthquake?
Hence, the concept of a scale developed which would assign a number or category to the earthquake depending on its intensity. The Richter Scale and Mercalli Scale are two such scales. The Richter magnitude scale is a scale that assigns earthquakes a number between 1 and 10 in order of increasing intensity. The scale was developed in 1935 by Charles ...
What is the magnitude of an earthquake?
The scale is a base-10 logarithmic scale, which means that an earthquake that measures 5.0 on the Richter scale has a shaking amplitude 10 times larger than one that measures 4.0, and corresponds to a 31.6 times larger release of energy.
Why was the Richter scale developed?
The Richter scale was developed to assign a single number to quantify the energy that is released during an earthquake.
What is the instrument that measures the motions of the ground?
In order to do this, the seismograph was developed. A seismograph is any instrument that measures the motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources.
How many earthquakes are there in a year?
There are in fact millions of earthquakes that occur in a year. Of those, only 1.3 million are even noticeable by humans, at least according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Most of these actually occur in remote areas far from people and are often so low in intensity that most people would not notice.
Why do scientists need to record seismic waves?
The records of the seismic waves helps seismologists to map the interior of the Earth, and to locate and measure the different sources of earthquakes. Now, that the scientists know when and where the earthquakes would occur, they next needed a way to classify the earthquakes in order of how dangerous they were.
Richter Scale vs Mercalli Scale
The main difference between Richter Scale and Mercalli Scale is that the Mercalli scale characterizes an earthquake’s intensity based on its observed consequences, whereas the Richter scale describes the size of an earthquake by measuring the seismic waves that create it. Different uses and measuring methodologies are used by the two scales.
What is Richter Scale?
Charles Richter created the Richter Magnitude Scale in 1935. It was originally designed to compare the size of different earthquakes in a certain area of California using the Wood-Anderson torsion seismograph. He eventually modified the scale to be able to measure the size of earthquakes all around the world.
What is Mercalli Scale?
The seismic metric is the Mercalli intensity scale. It assigns a number to an earthquake ranging from I to XII, based on its consequences. The Richter scale measures the energy produced during an earthquake, while the Mercalli scale assesses the amount of damage that an earthquake can cause.
Main Differences Between Richter Scale and Mercalli Scale
The Richter scale was created to provide a single value to the amount of energy generated during an earthquake, whereas the Mercalli Scale provides a number to the magnitude of an earthquake’s effects.
Conclusion
The Mercalli scale is less useful than the Richter scale because of its subjectivity against Richter’s objectivity. The Richter scale has a range of values from 2.0 to 10.0, whereas the Mercalli scale has a range of values from I to XII.
What is the Richter scale?
The Richter scale is a scientific measurement based on the magnitude of the earthquake and allows experts to use more accuracy in comparing the strength of quakes across time and at different locations or even areas of the world.
Why is the Mercalli scale less useful than the Richter scale?
In summary, the Mercalli scale is less useful than the Richter scale because of its subjectivity versus the Richter's objectivity. The Mercalli scale uses values from I to XII, and the Richter scale's values range from 2.0 to 10.0. The Richter scale is used much more often around the world than the Mercalli scale, which mainly relies on eyewitness accounts of loss and destruction.
What scale is used to measure earthquakes?
The earthquake and its impact is measured either by using the Mercalli scale or the Richter Scale . The two scales, however, each have different applications as well as measurement techniques. The Mercalli scale has been in existence longer dating back to the 19 th century.
Why is the Mercalli scale not scientific?
The scale is considered less scientific because it relies on eyewitness accounts of the loss and destruction caused by the quake. It is, though, useful when comparing two areas where an earthquake occurred.
What does XI mean on the Mercalli scale?
An XI on the Mercalli scale is similar to an 8 on the Richter scale, indicating the destruction of most buildings and bridges.
What is the scale of a quake?
The consistency of the scale varies and depends on the distance from the epicenter. On the other hand, the scale on the Richter ranges from 2.0 to 10.0, or higher but has never been recorded. The consistency of the scale varies at different distances from the epicenter, but a single value is given for the quake as a whole.
How many times tense is a magnitude 4 earthquake?
For example, a magnitude 4 earthquake is 10 times as tense as a magnitude 3 earthquake. The calculation for the Mercalli scale is quantified from the observation of the earthquake's effect on the earth's surface. It is also based on the effect on humans, objects, and man-made structures.
What Are The Differences Between The Richter and Mercalli Scale?
The Richter Scale
- The Richter scale was unveiled in the 1930s, and it gives a magnitude number to quantify an earthquake's size. The Richter magnitude of a particular earthquake is deduced from the logarithm of the amplitude of the waves recorded by seismographs. Adjustments are made for the difference in distance between individual seismographs as well as the epicenter of the earth…
The Mercalli Scale
- Giuseppe Mercalli, an Italian volcanologist, introduced the Mercalli Intensity Scale in 1885. The scale was expanded to accommodate 12 degrees of intensity by Adolfo Cancani in 1902. The scale was designed to determine the extent of damage in the aftermath of an earthquake. Mercalli ratings are assigned by Roman numerals. An earthquake which registers low intensity is addres…
Uses and Application
- The Mercalli scale is only employed in inhabited regions and it is not regarded as particularly scientific as the accounts of witnesses may vary, and the occurring damage may not reflect the strength of an earthquake accurately. The scale is mostly used in comparing the devastation caused by earthquakes in different regions. The Richter scale is favored by scientists in measuri…