What is the Mercalli intensity scale used for?
Q: What is the Mercalli intensity scale used for?
A: The Mercalli intensity scale is used to measure the intensity of earthquakes.
Q: How is the Mercalli scale different from the Richter scale?
A: Unlike the Richter scale, the Mercalli scale does not measure the energy of an earthquake directly. It classifies earthquakes by the effects they have and the destruction they cause.
Q: What does the Mercalli scale describe when there is little damage?
A: When there is little damage, the Mercalli scale describes how people felt the earthquake or how many people felt it.
Q: Why do non-geologists often use the Mercalli scale?
A: Non-geologists often use the Mercalli scale because it is easier for people to describe what damage an earthquake caused than to perform calculations for the Richter scale.
Q: Who originally developed the Mercalli scale and how many levels did it have?
A: Giuseppe Mercalli originally developed the Mercalli scale with ten levels.
Q: Who extended the Mercalli scale to twelve levels?
A: Adolfo Cancani extended the Mercalli scale to twelve levels.
Q: What is the Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg scale and the Mercalli-Wood-Neumann scale?
A: The Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg scale is another name for the Mercalli intensity scale, while the Mercalli-Wood-Neumann scale refers to the English translation of the Mercalli scale by Harry O. Wood and Frank Neumann. Charles Francis Richter also edited the Mercalli scale and later developed the Richter scale.
