GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -(1) local magnitude (ML), commonly referred to as “Richter magnitude, ” (2) surface-wave magnitude (Ms), (3) body-wave magnitude (Mb), and (4) moment magnitude (Mw ). Scales 1-3 have limited range and applicability and do not satisfactorily measure the size of the largest earthquakes.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Richter scale is used to rate the magnitude of an earthquake, that is the amount of energy released during an earthquake.

Detailed explanation-3: -Although several scales have been developed over the years, the two commonly used today in the United States are the moment magnitude scale, which measures magnitude (M), or size, and the Modified Mercalli scale, which measures intensity.

Detailed explanation-4: -Because of the limitations of all three magnitude scales (ML, Mb, and Ms), a new more uniformly applicable extension of the magnitude scale, known as moment magnitude, or Mw, was developed. In particular, for very large earthquakes, moment magnitude gives the most reliable estimate of earthquake size.

Detailed explanation-5: -Wave Amplitude, Fault Size, Amount of Slip. There are a number of ways to measure the magnitude of an earthquake. The Richter Scale. The first widely-used method, the Richter scale, was developed by Charles F. The Moment Magnitude Scale. The Mercalli Scale.