The strength of an earthquake is usually expressed in terms of a magnitude. Find

Question

The strength of an earthquake is usually expressed in terms of a magnitude. Find out about the original "open-ended Richter scale" of magnitude, why it has now been largely superseded by the "moment magnitude", Mw, and what the difference is. We also hear about earthquake intensity, which relates to the shaking and likely damage an earthquake causes. Describe what is meant by the intensity of an earthquake, and explain why it may be of more practical use than magnitude. Resources: Lowrie, Fundamentals of Geophysics; www.geo.miu.eduUPSeis

Explanation / Answer

The Richter scale uses the amplitude of a waveform recorded with a seismograph at a known distance from the source to calculate the strength of an event. But, the Richter scale is capped at a magnitude of 7.0, meaning that all larger earthquakes would always have a magnitude of 7.0 or less. Also, the Richter scale does not give any indication of the total energy that is released by the event.

The moment magnitude estimate the total energy released by the seismic activities such as earthquakes.

Intensity is described as the impact given by certain earthquake. Intensity is calculated in terms of effects on population , wealth and environment. This can be more relatable than magnitude scale , as we can estimate the total impact of an earthquake rather than numbers.

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