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How many seismic waves in a 7.5 magnitude earthquake are how many times longer than those in a 6.5 magnitude earthquake?
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What is the difference between the Mercalli scale the Richter scale and the magnitude scale?
In seismology (the study of seismic waves or vibrations in the ground / earthquakes) the Richter scale is a magnitude scale. Magnitude scales show the amount of energy released by an earthquake. In the case of the Richter magnitude this is based on the amplitude of the seismic waves measured on a seismometer and the distance of the seismometer station from the epicentre of the earthquake. The magnitude value should be the same for a given earthquake no matter where it is recorded. The Mercalli scale is an intensity scale. This gives information on the perceived ground shaking in a specific location. The value is derived from witness reports on the perceived violence of the shaking, from the damage done to buildings and other infrastructure and also based on measurements from accelerometers and other seismic recording instruments in order to make the Mercalli intensity value a less subjective parameter. The intensity and damage to infrastructure can be influenced strongly by a number of variables including local ground conditions and the use (or otherwise) of earthquake resistant design. Please see the related questions for more information.
Does a seismograph record the size of a tidal wave or earthquake?
Seismometers or Seismographs are instruments that measure motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources.
What is meant by magnitude 7 earthquake?
In my opinion, EQ of magnitude 7 means , the Amplitude of vibration due to the EQ is 10 metres.( 107 microns). Those who agree with my answer , please confirm it.
What scale is used to measure earthquake intensity?
The moment magnitude scale is used to measure the magnitude of large earthquakes. The Richter scale is still used to make an initial estimate of the magnitude of larger earthquakes and to measure small and moderate ones (those with a magnitude below 7).
How many times more powerful was the Japan earthquake than the Christchurch earthquake?
The 2010 Christchurch earthquake was of magnitude 7.1. The 2011 Christchurch earthquake was of magnitude 6.3. The 2011 Japan earthquake was of magnitude 9.0. The formula for comparing the energy released by two earthquakes using the moment magnitude scale (which is what I assume those numbers are in, since it's the most common scale for large earthquakes) is D=103*(m1 - m2)/2 So compared to the more recent Christchurch earthquake, we get that the Japan earthquake was about 103*(9.0-6.3)/2 = 103*2.7/2 = 104.05 which we can tell even without actually doing the calculations is a bit over 10,000 times more powerful in terms of total energy released. (this does not, however, mean 10,000 times more damage).
The seismic waves in a 5.5 magnitude earthquake are times larger than those in a 3.5 magnitude earthquake?
100 :)
The seismic waves in a 6.1 magnitude earthquake are times larger than those in a 3.1 magnitude earthquake?
1,000
The seismic waves in a 6.1 magnitude earthquake are times larger than those in a 3.1 magnitude earthquake.?
1,000
The seismic waves in a 6.1 magnitude earthquake are what times larger than those of a 3.1 magnitude earthquake?
10
What are devises used to know the intensity and magnitude of earthquake?
Those devices are called Seismometer's. They are used to measure seismic shockwaves ( earthquake's)
How many times more powerful is an earthquake measuring 7.0 than one measuring 5.0?
The Richter magniude scale is logorithmic. As such the size (amplitude) of the largest seismic waves produced by a magnitude 7 earthquake are 102 (or 100) times larger than those produced by a magnitude 5 earthquake. However the amount of energy released by a magnitude7 earthquake is 1000 times greater (102)^3/2 than a magnitude 5 earthquake and so it is likely to be much more destructive.
What does a Richter scale measure on an earthquake?
RICHTER SCALEThe Richter scale (known as the local magnitude scale to seismologists) was originally developed to measure small to moderate magnitude earthquakes in southern California by Charles Richter and Beno Gutenberg. The numerical levels indicate the energy released by a particular quake. The numerical value is obtained from the logarithm of the maximum amplitude of seismic waves as recorded on a seismometer. This value is then scaled to account for the distance from the epicentre of the earthquake to the seismometer so as to allow the value to be correlated with the local magnitude readings from other seismometers in differing locations (as seismic waves lose their energy as they propagate through the earth so if this correction was not made, then different seismometer stations at different distances would give differing Richter magnitudes for the same earthquake). The Richter magnitude measurement produced by this methodology in theory has no limit and may be positive or negative.As stated above, the Richter scale itself is a logarithmic mathematical formula which is calibrated so that a ten fold increase in amplitude relates to a single whole number increase on the scale (e.g. an earthquake with a Richter magnitude of 5 has seismic waves with a maximum amplitude 10 times larger than those for a magnitude 4). It has a number of practical limitations, in that it is poor at recording earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 7 and at distances greater than 650 km from a seismometer.The equation for calculating the Richter magnitude (MR) is shown below:MR = (Log10A) - (Log10A0)WhereA = maximum zero to peak amplitude of seismic wave (mm) recorded.A0 = Empirical function derived from the distance from seismometer station to earthquake epicentreLog10A0 From 0 to 200 km distance:Log10A0 = 0.15 - 1.6 log(distance in km)Between 200 and 600 km distance by:Log10A0 = 3.38 - 3.0 log(distance in km)Due to the limitations described above (distance and maximum size of measurable earthquake), it has since been replaced by the Moment Magnitude Scale in the measurement of large earthquakes - for information on this, please see the related question.the richter scale reads the magnitude of earthquake.
Why is the intensity value of an earthquake more meaningful than magnitude to a nonscientist?
The strength (more correctly termed magnitude) of an earthquake is a measurement of the energy released when the earthquake occurs. The intensity however is derived based on the perceived level of ground shaking at a specific location and is a function of the amplitude of seismic waves at a given point and the damage they cause. The damage caused is in turn related to the local ground conditions and the specific construction techniques followed in the area. Therefore for earthquakes of equal magnitudes, the location of the earthquake's epicentre in relation to centres of population is important. A high magnitude earthquake that occurs far from a populated area will do less damage than an lower magnitude earthquake in very close proximity to a populated area. As such the earthquake would have a lower magnitude but a higher intensity. Secondly, ground motion and the amplitude of seismic waves is strongly dependent on the medium through which they travel. Seismic waves in hard rock masses (e.g. granite) have lower amplitudes than those that travel through soft ground such as sediments and so a building constructed and founded on hard rock is less likely to be damaged. As such a lower magnitude earthquake affecting structures founded on softer sediments may ultimately cause more damage than a higher magnitude earthquake affecting structures founded on hard rock. Again this would mean that in this specific case the earthquake of equal or lower magnitude would have a potentially greater effect on structures founded on soft soils and so the the intensity would be higher. For more information, please see the related question.
How does the scale work?
The Richter scale (or local magnitude scale) indicate the energy released by a particular earthquake. The numerical value is obtained from the logarithm of the maximum amplitude of seismic waves as recorded on a seismometer. This value is then scaled to account for the distance from the epicentre of the earthquake to the seismometer so as to allow the value to be correlated with the local magnitude readings from other seismometers in differing locations (as seismic waves lose their energy as they propagate through the earth so if this correction was not made, then different seismometer stations at different distances would give differing Richter magnitudes for the same earthquake). It uses a logarithmic mathematical formula which is calibrated so that a ten fold increase in amplitude relates to a single whole number increase on the scale (e.g. an earthquake with a Richter magnitude of 5 has seismic waves with a maximum amplitude 10 times larger than those for a magnitude 4). The equation for calculating the Richter magnitude (MR) is shown below: MR = (Log10A) - (Log10A0) Where A = maximum zero to peak amplitude of seismic wave (mm) recorded. A0 = Empirical function derived from the distance from seismometer station to earthquake epicentre Log10A0 From 0 to 200 km distance: Log10A0 = 0.15 - 1.6 log(distance in km) Between 200 and 600 km distance by: Log10A0 = 3.38 - 3.0 log(distance in km)
Who helped in the Newcastle earthquake?
The Newcastle earthquake was a Richter scale of 5.6 magnitude earthquake
When referring to earthquakes what is the difference between the Magnitude scale and the Richter scale?
The Richter Scale is a Magnitude scale - it is used to calculate the magnitude of small and medium sized earthquakes (those with a magnitude less than 7). The other scales most commonly used for recording Earthquakes are the Moment Magnitude Scale and the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.The Intensity scale of the Earthquake measures the effect of the earthquake at a particular location. In general it is highest at the epicenter and gets lower as you go further. The value of intensity changes from place to place.The Moment Magnitude scale measures the actual amount of energy released during the Earthquake and is derived based on the rigidity / stiffness of the crust, the length of fault that slipped and it's cross sectional area.An Earthquake has only one value of magnitude, and it does not change from place to place. The scale is logarithmic.However the now outmoded Richter Scale used a different method of deriving the energy release based on the maximum amplitude of the seismic waves detected on seismometers. As such it was a measurement of the local magnitude (i.e. local to the seismometer) rather than the absolute magnitude of the earthquake.
What system do seismologists use today for rating the magnitude of an earthquake?
Earthquake magnitudes are rated using the moment magnitude scale. Moderate and small earthquakes (those with a magnitude below 7) are also measured using the Richter scale. Please see the related question for more information.
