A seismograph is the primary earthquake measuring instrument. The seismograph produces a digital graphic recording of the ground motion caused by the seismic waves. The digital recording is called a seismogram. A network of worldwide seismographs detects and measures the strength and duration of the earthquake’s waves.
What Measures the Intensity of an Earthquake?
An earthquake is a natural disaster that occurs when the Earth‘s tectonic plates shift. This can happen when plates slide past each other, grind against each other, or when one plate is forced underneath another.
Earthquakes can happen at any time of day or night and can occur without warning. The intensity of an earthquake is measured using the Richter magnitude scale.
This scale is based on the amount of energy released by the earthquake. The Richter magnitude scale is logarithmic, which means that each increase of one magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the amount of energy released.
For example, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 releases 10 times more energy than an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0.
The Richter magnitude scale is divided into six categories, with each category representing a different level of intensity. Category I is the weakest level, while Category VI is the strongest.
The table below shows the Richter magnitude scale and the corresponding level of intensity:
Richter Magnitude Scale Intensity
I Not felt
II Weak
III Moderate
IV Strong
V Very strong
VI Severe
The intensity of an earthquake can also be measured using the Modified Mercalli
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