Name: ____________________________________ Period: ______ Date: ____________________________
Magnitude & Intensity
(Pages 159-163)
1. What are the two ways geologists measure an earthquake by? ______________________________
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2. How can scientists use the magnitude and intensity data for earthquakes? ___________________
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3. What does the Richter scale measure? __________________________________________________
4. What do the terms “amplitude” or “swing” in the magnitude of an earthquake measure?
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5. What does intensity describe in terms of an earthquake? __________________________________
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6. What factors affect intensity (name 4)? __________________________________________________
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7. Why is it important to know the magnitude and intensity of earthquakes? ____________________
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8. What is the most common earthquake intensity scale used in the U. S.? ______________________
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9. On the Richter Magnitude Scale, if the magnitude of an earthquake registers an 8, how is it
describe (descriptor) on the scale? _____________________________________________________
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10. On the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, if an earthquake has an “intensity” of X, what kind of
damage and felt observations can one expect to see or feel? ________________________________
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