Mercalli Scale vs. Richter Scale

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 Mercalli scale is linear and the Richter scale is logarithmic.

1. How is Mercalli scale different from Richter scale?
2. What do the Richter and Mercalli scales measure?
3. Which earthquake scale is the most accurate?
4. Why is the Richter scale no longer used?
5. What is the strongest intensity scale?
6. How many times is Richter Scale 7 earthquake more powerful than a Richter Scale 4 explain why?
7. What is the formula for the Richter scale?
8. What is the max on the Richter scale?
9. Why is the Mercalli scale useful?
10. Is a 10.0 earthquake possible?
11. What is the strongest earthquake on the Richter scale?
12. What size earthquake can you feel?

How is Mercalli scale different from Richter scale?

The Mercalli scale bases its measurement on the observed effects of the earthquake and describes its intensity. It is a linear measurement. On the other hand, the Richter scale measures the seismic waves, or the energy released, causing the earthquake and describes the quake's magnitude.

What do the Richter and Mercalli scales measure?

Learn how the Richter scale measures magnitude and the Mercalli scale measures intensity of an earthquake. The Richter scale measures the magnitude of earthquakes, and the Mercalli scale measures... Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Which earthquake scale is the most accurate?

For all other earthquakes, the moment magnitude (Mw) scale is a more accurate measure of the earthquake size. Although similar seismographs had existed since the 1890's, it was only in 1935 that Charles F. Richter, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology, introduced the concept of earthquake magnitude.

Why is the Richter scale no longer used?

The Richter scale was abandoned because it worked best for earthquakes in southern California, and only those hitting within about 370 miles (600 kilometers) of seismometers. ... The moment magnitude scale captures all the different seismic waves from an earthquake, giving a better idea of the shaking and possible damage.

What is the strongest intensity scale?

PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)

How many times is Richter Scale 7 earthquake more powerful than a Richter Scale 4 explain why?

The Richter Scale (more accurately referred to now as the “local magnitude” scale or ML), like all other magnitude scales to follow, is logarithmic, meaning each unit up on the scale equals a 10-fold increase in amplitude–e.g. a 7.0 earthquake is 10 times stronger than a 6.0 earthquake, and 100 times stronger than a ...

What is the formula for the Richter scale?

The Richter scale defines the magnitude of an earthquake to be R=log(IcIn) where Ic is the intensity of the earthquake and In is the intensity of a standard earthquake.

What is the max on the Richter scale?

In theory, the Richter scale has no upper limit, but, in practice, no earthquake has ever been registered on the scale above magnitude 8.6. (That was the Richter magnitude for the Chile earthquake of 1960. The moment magnitude for this event was measured at 9.5.).

Why is the Mercalli scale useful?

The Mercalli intensity scale (or more precisely the Modified Mercalli intensity scale) is a scale to measure the intensity of earthquakes. ... Very often, non-geologists use this scale, because it is easier for people to describe what damage an earthquake caused, than to do calculations to get a value on the Richter scale.

Is a 10.0 earthquake possible?

No, earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen. ... No fault long enough to generate a magnitude 10 earthquake is known to exist, and if it did, it would extend around most of the planet.

What is the strongest earthquake on the Richter scale?

The most powerful quake was the 9.5-magnitude Valdivia Earthquake that struck in Chile in 1960, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). That quake created a tsunami, which together killed an estimated 5,700 people. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami registered a 9.3 magnitude.

What size earthquake can you feel?

The magnitude, location, and depth of an earthquake, and overlying soil conditions determine how widely and strongly any particular event can be felt. Typically, people report feeling earthquakes larger than about magnitude 3.0.