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∙ 8y agoIn 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.
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∙ 13y agoWiki User
∙ 13y agoThe Richter scale measures the force of the earthquake (measured using a seismometer) It is a logarithmic scale (by increasing the number on the scale by one, the earthquake becomes 10 times more powerful, and goes from 0 upwards.
The Mercalli scale measures the amount of destruction caused, it is a qualitative scale, and goes from 1 (only read by instruments) to 12 (total destruction, 'cataclysmic)
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∙ 11y agoThe Richter Scale—more appropriately called the magnitude scale—is one means of expressing the magnitude of an earthquake (i.e., the amount of energy released). And the amount of damage likely to be caused by an earthquake - or earthquake intensity - is measured on the Mercalli Scale.
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∙ 9y agoThe Richter scale is a measure of the energy released during an earthquake through the use of a seismograph. The Mercalli scale, meanwhile, describes the intensity of an earthquake based on its observed effects,
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∙ 12y agorichter measures the level of general impact for an earthquake, while mercalli measures the impact on society...
a strong earthquake in a non-poplulated area would have high richter value, but small mercalli, but in a large city, both richter and mercalli would be big
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∙ 8y agoWiki User
∙ 12y agothe Richter scale measures the amount of energy released in am earthquake. The mercalli scale measures the effects of an earthquake
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∙ 10y agoAn earthquake with a magnitude of 3.0 is 10 times stronger than an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.0 on the Richter scale. This means that the release of energy during a magnitude 3.0 earthquake is 10 times greater than that of a magnitude 2.0 earthquake.
The earthquake in Chile in 2010 had a magnitude of 8.8, while the one in Haiti in 2010 had a magnitude of 7.0. This means that the Chile earthquake was significantly stronger, with its impact reflecting the difference in magnitude.
A magnitude 6 earthquake releases about 1,000 times more energy than a magnitude 3 earthquake. The Richter scale is logarithmic, with each whole number representing a tenfold increase in amplitude and approximately 31.6 times more energy released.
The intensity of earthquakes is typically measured using the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, which assesses the effects of an earthquake on people, structures, and the environment. The MMI scale ranges from I (not felt) to XII (total destruction). It provides a subjective evaluation of the earthquake's impact rather than a quantitative measure of the seismic waves.
The main difference is brightness: a twelfth magnitude star is brighter than a fifteenth magnitude star. Magnitude is a logarithmic scale, so each step in magnitude represents a difference in brightness of about 2.5 times. This means a twelfth magnitude star is approximately 12.5 times brighter than a fifteenth magnitude star.
the mercalli scale uses roman numerals and measures how much damage there was in the earthquake. the richter scale uses a needle with ink and does sort of a line graph and measures the magnitude of an earthquake.
well nothing. they are the same
the moment magnitude scale is used to measure earthquake magnitude-taking into account the size of the fault rupture, the rocks stiffness,and the amount of the movement of the fault- using values that can be estimated from the size of several types of seismic waves. while a Richter scale is a numerical scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake, using values based on the size of the earthquakes largest seismic waves.
The Richter scale is an older method of measuring earthquake magnitude, while the Moment Magnitude scale (Mw) is the modern standard. The Moment Magnitude scale is more accurate for measuring larger earthquakes and does not saturate as easily as the Richter scale.
The Richter magnitude scale is a base-10 logarithmic scale of the shaking amplitude. This means that a difference of 1 in the scale is equivalent to a 10-fold increase in amplitude. So the difference in amplitude between a mag 8 and a mag 4 earthquake is 104.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.0 is 10 times stronger than an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.0 on the Richter scale. This means that the release of energy during a magnitude 3.0 earthquake is 10 times greater than that of a magnitude 2.0 earthquake.
A Richter magnitude 5.0 earthquake has 10 times greater amplitude and releases approximately 31.6 times more energy compared to a magnitude 4.0 earthquake. This means that a magnitude 5.0 earthquake would feel significantly stronger and cause more damage than a magnitude 4.0 earthquake.
the magnitude of 3.0 releases about 1000 times as much energy as an 1.0 magnitude
They are both scales that determine what damage earthquakes can produce, whether it's on the general impact of structures of buildings or the impact of damage on society.
The three things that affect magnitude are the distance between the observer and the event, the intensity of the event itself, and the type of measurement scale used to quantify the magnitude (e.g., Richter scale for earthquakes).
The energy output of a magnitude 6 earthquake is approximately 32 times greater than that of a magnitude 5 earthquake. Magnitude scales such as the Richter scale are logarithmic, so each whole number increase represents a tenfold increase in amplitude and approximately 32 times more energy release.
No difference only magnitude