Earthquakes can be measured on two scales: the Richter scale and the Mercalli scale. The Richter scale is a numerical scale that measures the magnitude or energy released by an earthquake. The Mercalli scale evaluates the intensity or severity of shaking produced by an earthquake and its effects on people, structures and earth surfaces. It uses Roman numerals from I to XII, with I representing weak earthquake shaking and XII representing total destruction.

1. Earthquakes
Aims:
What is magnitude?
How are earthquakes
measured?
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environm

2. The Richter Scale

3. The Mercalli Scale
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4. The Richter Scale
– Draw a picture to illustrate the Richter scale
1) Only animals feel the earth move
2) People in tall buildings feel slight
movement
3) Pictures on walls move
4) Loose tiles fall from roofs
5) Windows break
6) Damage to buildings – Chimneys fall
down
7) Poorly built buildings fall down
8) Well built buildings suffer damage
9) All buildings fall down, pipes are
broken and fires break out
10) Total devastation