The Moment Magnitude scale.
Scientists most often use the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale to express the magnitude of an earthquake. These scales measure the energy released by an earthquake and provide a numerical value to indicate its intensity.
At most it measured XII
Scientists use seismographs to measure the magnitude of earthquakes. Seismographs detect the seismic waves generated by an earthquake, and the amplitude of these waves is used to calculate the earthquake's size. The most common scale used to measure earthquake size is the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale.
The Mercalli scale would most likely be used to measure earthquake damage.
Scientists measure earthquake magnitude using seismometers, which detect and record ground motion. The most common scale used to measure earthquake magnitude is the Richter scale, which is based on the amplitude of seismic waves. More recently, the moment magnitude scale has become the preferred method for measuring earthquake magnitude as it provides a more accurate representation of the energy released during an earthquake.
A magnitude scale is simply a metric for quantifying the energy released in an earthquake and the amplitude of the waves the earthquake emits. The most well-known magnitude scale in America is the Richter scale, which is equated in base 10 (that is, an earthquake that scores 5.0 on the Richter scale will have an Amplitude ten times greater than that of an earthquake that scores a 4.0 on the Richter scale).
The instruments are seismographs or seismometers.
The most important measure of an earthquake's strength is often considered to be the moment magnitude scale (Mw), as it provides a more accurate representation of the earthquake's energy release than the Richter scale. Moment magnitude accounts for factors such as the area of the fault that slipped and the amount of slip, making it applicable to a wider range of earthquake sizes. While intensity measurements, like the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, assess the effects of an earthquake on people and structures, they are subjective and can vary by location. Therefore, for understanding the actual energy released, moment magnitude is the preferred measure.
The most commonly referred to scale by the press and the public is the Richter scale for measuring earthquake magnitude. However this was actually replaced in the 1970s by the Moment Magnitude scale which is the magnitude scale favoured and in use by seismologists.
The Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale is typically used to assess the level of earthquake damage to homes and other buildings. The scale assigns a value based on observed effects and is used to quantify the intensity of shaking at a specific location during an earthquake.
The most commonly used scale to measure the magnitude of earthquakes is the Richter scale. However, the moment magnitude scale (Mw) is now more widely used as it provides a more accurate measurement for larger earthquakes. Other scales include the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, which measures the intensity of shaking at a specific location.
The magnitude of an earthquake is a measure of how intense it was, measured on what is called the Richter scale, Most people will not notice an earthquake of 3 on the scale, most will notice 4 easily, but no damage is done. A measure of 6 on the Richter scale will break a lot of windows and crockery, and crack some building foundations. 7 on the scale will do considerable damage - some buildings will collapse outright, highway overpasses may come down. 8 on the Richter scale will be widespread, devastating damage.