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
What does the Richter magnitude scale depends on quizlet?
Richter Magnitude is determined by
Measuring the Maximum Amplitude of the P- or S-wave on the Seismic Wave Pattern
. A magnitude 1 difference in the Richter scale indicates a factor of 10 difference in the amplitude of ground motion.
What is the Richter scale magnitude based on?
The Richter magnitude scale was developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter of the California Institute of Technology as a mathematical device to compare the size of earthquakes. The magnitude of an earthquake is determined from
the logarithm of the amplitude of waves recorded by seismographs
.
How is the Richter scale calculated?
A better measure of the size of an earthquake is the amount of energy released by the earthquake, which is related to the Richter Scale by the following equation:
Log E = 11.8 + 1.5 M
(where Log refers to the logarithm to the base 10, E is the energy released in ergs and M the Richter magnitude).
What does the Richter scale go up to?
The Richter scale
has no lower limit and no maximum
. It’s a “logarithmic” scale, which means that each one-point increase on the scale represents a 10-fold increase in the magnitude of the quake. … An earthquake of magnitude 6 or higher is considered major.
What is the weakest intensity scale?
Scales. The PEIS has ten intensity scales represented in Roman numerals with
Intensity I
being the weakest and Intensity X being the strongest. Perceptible to people under favorable circumstances.
Is a 10.0 earthquake possible?
No, earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen
. The magnitude of an earthquake is related to the length of the fault on which it occurs. … The largest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude 9.5 on May 22, 1960 in Chile on a fault that is almost 1,000 miles long…a “megaquake” in its own right.
Which scale can accurately measure magnitude 8 and higher?
Moment magnitude estimates are about the same as Richter magnitudes for small to large earthquakes. But only
the moment magnitude scale
is capable of measuring M8 (read “magnitude 8”) and greater events accurately. Magnitudes are based on a logarithmic scale (base 10).
Which geological setting is likely to experience the least amount of seismic activity?
Which geological setting is likely to experience the least amount of seismic activity?
convergent-plate boundaries
.
What does Mercalli Intensity Scale depend on?
Intensity depends on
your distance from the epicenter and the geologic area
. The Modified Mercalli scale measures the earthquake’s effect on people, property and ground damage. Roman numerals are used to rate the intensity and damage. An earthquake may have a different intensity rating at different locations.
What is the highest 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.).
What is a 10 on the Richter scale?
The Richter scale grows by powers of 10. … An earthquake registering 2.0 on the Richter scale is
10 times stronger than a quake registering 1.0
. A quake registering 3.0 is 10 X 10 or 100 times stronger than a quake registering 1.0 A 4.0 is 10 X 10 X 10 or 1,000 times greater than 1.0 and so on.
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.
Is a 4.5 earthquake strong?
Events with
magnitudes greater than 4.5 are strong enough to be recorded by a seismograph anywhere in the world
, so long as its sensors are not located in the earthquake’s shadow. The following describes the typical effects of earthquakes of various magnitudes near the epicenter. … Recorded by seismographs.
What is the highest Richter scale earthquake ever recorded?
| Mag Alternative Name | 1. 9.5 Valdivia Earthquake | 2. 9.2 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, Prince William Sound Earthquake, Good Friday Earthquake | 3. 9.1 Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake, 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami, Indian Ocean Earthquake | 4. 9.1 Tohoku Earthquake |
|---|
What’s the main cause of most earthquakes?
Earthquakes are usually caused when
underground rock suddenly breaks and there is rapid motion along a fault
. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. … The earthquake is over when the fault stops moving. Seismic waves are generated throughout the earthquake.
