EARTHSC 2GG3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Mercalli Intensity Scale, San Andreas Fault, Epicenter
Document Summary
They result from the rupture of rocks along a fault. Energy from an earthquake is released in the form of seismic waves. They are mapped according to the epicentre; the focus is located directly below the epicentre. They are measured by seismographs and compared by magnitude. 100 km is an arbitrary number: since then, more accurate methods have been developed and the richter scale is no longer in use. M8 is 1000 times the amount of m5. Except for very large earthquakes, the magnitude on the. The strongest earthquake to ever occur is m9. 5 in chile in 1960. In canada, it is m8. 1 in b. c. in. Earthquake intensity: the modified mercalli intensity scale is a qualitative scale based on damage to structures and the effect on people. Identifying faults is necessary to evaluate the risk of an earthquake in a given area.