Is a 4.8 earthquake big; how are earthquakes measured?
(WHTM) — Earthquakes are large seismic events that occur when tectonic plates get stuck at their edges due to friction, and sends energy in waves across our earths crust which causes shaking.
But how are earthquakes currently measured?
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), earthquakes are recorded by a seismographic network which measures the movement of the ground at each perspective site of a seismic station.
Magnitude is the most common measure of an earthquake. The magnitude is a measure of the source of the earthquake and its size. Currently, USGS reports an earthquake’s magnitude using the Moment Magnitude Scale.
According to Michigan Tech, the magnitude scale is as follows:
Magnitude | Earthquake Effects |
2.5 or less | Earthquakes are usually not felt but can be recorded by a seismograph. |
2.5 to 5.4 | The event is often felt but only causes minor damage. |
5.5 to 6.0 | There is slight damage caused to buildings and other structures. |
6.1 to 6.9 | The earthquake may cause a lot of damage in very populated areas. |
7.0 to 7.9 | This is considered a major earthquake and will cause series damage |
8.0 or greater | This is a great earthquake that can totally destroy communities near an epicenter |
For years, we used a method called the Richter scale, which measures the largest ‘wiggle’ during an earthquake, but the USGS says that this method is outdated and is no longer used for large, teleseismic earthquakes.
abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
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