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Earth's System: Force of the Earth: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Measuring Earthquake Magnitude
Description
Measuring Earthquake Magnitude
When stress in Earth’s crust builds up, rocks snap, releasing energy as seismic waves. That shaking is what we feel. Magnitude measures how much energy is released at the source.
- Richter scale: Measures energy released; reliable up to magnitude 6.5.
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Transcript
Earthquakes can be felt in different ways. You might notice your chair shifting while sitting still or in a tall building. You could feel the entire structure sway.
Scientists measure earthquakes using a seismograph, which measures seismic waves. Seismographs produce a seismogram, which is a paper record of the waves, but today most modern...
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