Research Paper Assignment 2:Topic 2
By: Kyandra Greene 6 period
How an Earthquake epicenter and magnitude is determined:
To determine magnitude of an earthquake there are many ways one could evaluate: from the cost of repairs resulting from damage, from the length of rupture of the earthquake fault, from the amount of ground shaking, etc. But determining the strength of an earthquake using these kinds of "estimators" is full of potential problems and subjectivity.
A well-known scale used to compare the strengths of earthquakes involves using the records (the seismograms) of an earthquake's shock waves. The scale, known as the Richter Magnitude Scale created by Dr. C. F. Richter. The Richter magnitude determination is based on measurements made on seisograms. Two measurements are needed: the S-P time interval and the Maximum Amplitude of the Seismic waves.