Question

Which of the following is used to measure the intensity of earthquakes?

• A. Mercalli scale
• B. Richter scale
• C. Both A and B
• D. Saffir-Simpson scale

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Both A and B

• There are a number of ways to measure the magnitude of an earthquake. The first widely-used method, the Richter scale, was developed by Charles F. Richter in 1934. It used a formula based on the amplitude of the largest wave recorded on a specific type of seismometer and the distance between the earthquake and the seismometer.
  
• Another way to measure the strength of an earthquake is to use the Mercalli scale. Invented by Giuseppe Mercalli in 1902, this scale uses the observations of the people who experienced the earthquake to estimate its intensity.