Measuring Earthquake Size
- Two main ways to describe EQ size
- Severity of effects: intensity
- indicator of degree of shaking at a given locale, based on movement and damage.
- Ground Motion: magnitude
- estimate of the amount of energy released by the earthquake
- Let’s talk intensity first
Modified Mercalli Intensity, MMI Scale:
- developed about 1930 (CalTech)
- based on effects on California buildings
- range= I(not felt) to XII (Catastrophic)
- diminishes with distance
- affected by rocks, soils, building types, etc.
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