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What are some sources of error in using the Modified Mercalli Scale to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?
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How do you measure the damage caused by an earthquake?
Geologists and seismologists will usually describe the damage caused by an earthquake in terms of it's intensity. This is measured using the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. Mercalli values are derived from a number of sources including witness reports of the perceived ground shaking in their location, the damage to structures and also measurements of the ground accelerations from seismometers (included to attempt to reduce the subjectivity of the scale due to it's reliance on human witnesses).Earthquake damage may also be measured in terms of their monetary effect - i.e. the financial cost to replace or repair the damaged infrastructure. For example the February 2010 Chilean earthquake is estimated to have caused $30 billion of damage.
What are earthquakes measured?
The strength of an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale. The Richter scale is logarithmic, meaning that if the earthquake's strength increases by 1 on the Richter scale, it is 10 times more powerful, e.g. an earthquake measuring 5.0 is 10x more powerful than an earthquake measuring 4.0. The strength of an earthquake is measured using a seismograph which measures the vibrations in the ground.
What did the Japan earthquake measure on the Richter scale?
The March 11, 2011 earthquake was originally measured at magnitude 8.9, but later upgraded to 9.0 by both USGS and Japan scientists.
How are strengths of earthquakes measured?
The magnitude of an earthquake is measured with a seismograph and the readout is measured using the Richter scale - See Sources and related links for more information
How many people died in the earthquake in Chile?
In the earthquake that occurred on the 27th of February 2010, official figures released on the 15th of May 2010 state that there were 521 confirmed fatalities with 56 missing. In the earthquake that occurred on the 22nd of May 1960, estimates range from 2231, 3000, or 5700 fatalities with estimates from other sources as high as 6000 dead. Please see the related links.
What are some possible sources of error when using the modified mercalli scale to locate the epicenter of the earthquake?
the map could be incorrect
How does the modified mercalli scale earthquake intensity?
The Modified Mercalli scale assigns a value to an earthquake from I to XII depending on it's intensity, with I being the lowest (only recorded by seismometers, not felt by humans) and XII being the highest (representing total destruction of all buildings). Mercalli values are derived from a number of sources including witness reports of the perceived ground shaking in their location, the damage to structures and also measurements of the ground accelerations from seismometers (included to attempt to reduce the subjectivity of the scale due to it's reliance on human witnesses).
What was the MMS rating for the Christchurch earthquake?
The maximum Modified Mercalli Scale value for the Christchrch earthquake has been reported as an intensity 8 event by the US Geological survey although some other sources state that it reached a maximum intensity of 9.
How do you measure the damage caused by an earthquake?
Geologists and seismologists will usually describe the damage caused by an earthquake in terms of it's intensity. This is measured using the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. Mercalli values are derived from a number of sources including witness reports of the perceived ground shaking in their location, the damage to structures and also measurements of the ground accelerations from seismometers (included to attempt to reduce the subjectivity of the scale due to it's reliance on human witnesses).Earthquake damage may also be measured in terms of their monetary effect - i.e. the financial cost to replace or repair the damaged infrastructure. For example the February 2010 Chilean earthquake is estimated to have caused $30 billion of damage.
Why might an earth quake have more than one intensity value?
Yes. The Mercalli intensity scale measures the effect of the earthquake on people and structures, and the intensity value will differ depending on how far you are from the epicenter. For instance, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake may be damaging (intensity VII) around the epicenter, but 300 miles away it may be barely felt (intensity II). The mercalli scale measures the intensity of an earthquake, where the Richter scale measures the magnitude. Also you have to consider where the earthquake occurred. you can have a 9.0 quake in the middle of the Australian outback but there is hardly anybody there so you would have a low mercalli scale reading. If you had that same quake in San Francisco then you are going to have a seriously high number on the mercalli scale
How can a mercalli scale be used to determine the epicenter of an earthquake?
It may potentially be used to find the epicentre of an earthquake, but there would be significant practical problems which would introduce potentially very significant errors in the location estimate. For an explanation, see the following: The Mercalli scale allocates a value to an earthquake based on the perceived shaking in a specific area (as well as from amplitudes of seismic waves measured on seismometers). The ground acceleration and amplitude of seismic waves (and hence the perceived shaking) is not just a function of the distance from the epicentre (if it were you could plot contours of Mercalli values to estimate the epicentre based on where the highest reported shaking occurred). However the amplitude of seismic waves is also a function of the local geology. Seismic waves have much larger amplitudes in soft sediments than in hard rock masses. As such, an area located close to the earthquake epicentre but with ground conditions characterised by hard rock may actually experience significantly lower amplitude vibrations than an area a longer distance away with soft sediments. As such people would report a lower perceived level of shaking (and this would be confirmed by seismometer readings) in the area that was actually closer to the earthquake. The earth is composed of naturally formed materials which therefore have great lateral variability. This therefore can cause great variability in the perceived shaking that bears little relation to the origin of the earthquake. As such a contour plot on a map of Mercalli values may give some indication of the location of the earthquake epicentre however as described above there are potentially numerous sources of error! For information on how seismologists locate the epicentre of an earthquake, please see the related question.
How can you measured the earthquake?
The magnitude of an earthquake is measured with a seismograph and the readout is measured using the Richter scale - See Sources and related links for more information.
What is the name of the earthquake happened in Japan?
The magnitude 9.0 quake in Japan is called the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and also known as the Great East Japan Earthquake from sources including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
How do geologists measure earthquakes?
The amplitude of the waves created by the earthquake that move thru the earth are measured by a seismometer which creates a seismograph which is produced as a lot of up and down lines. The larger the lines up and down, the more powerful the earthquake. It uses a logarithmic scale called the Richter Scale to measure strength up to 10 ... so a 3 is 10x more powerful than a 2 and so on.
What impact does an earthquake have on wildlife and their environment?
An earthquake has the ability to displace animals from their home and make their food sources scarce. Earthquakes that affect land near the ocean can also harm sea creatures.
Can you modified a power sources from110v in 220v?
of course. go to the market and buy a transformer. It will convert a 110V supply to a 220V supply.
How earthquake seismology differ from exploration seismology?
a) Seismology earthquake occur along plate boundaries , on faults and in volcanic areas while seismology exploration was create by artificial sources like explosion. Besides seismology earthquake make lot destruction than seismology exploration.
