How Earthquakes Are Measured
The vibrations produced by earthquakes are detected, recorded, and measured by instruments called seismographs.
Seismograms
Seismographs create "seismograms" that record ground vibration intensity.
What Scientists Can Determine
Scientists use seismogram data to determine:
- Earthquake time
- Epicenter location
- Focal depth
- Fault type
- Energy released
The Richter Scale
Earthquakes are measured using the Richter Scale for magnitude.
Recent Significant Earthquakes (7.0+ Magnitude)
- M 7.6 - Drake Passage
- M 7.4 - Philippines
- M 7.8 - Near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia
- M 7.4 - Near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia
Note: Some of these earthquakes may pose tsunami risk.