Mercalli Scale

What is the Mercalli Scale

As we have already noted, the severity of an earthquake can vary from events which are barely detectable even using the most sophisticated devices, to devastating events which can level cities and trigger tsunamis and sometimes even volcanic activity. Various scales were proposed in the past to measure the magnitude of earthquakes until 1935, when the Richter Magnitude Scale was developed by Conrad Richter to measure the intensity of the seismic waves.

However, Richter ratings only give you a rough idea of the actual impact of an earthquake. As we've seen, an earthquake's destructive power varies depending on the composition of the ground in an area and the design and placement of man-made structures. The extent of damage is rated on the Mercalli Intensity Scale.

The Mercalli Intensity Scale was developed by the Italian volcanologist Giuseppe Mercalli in 1884 and expanded to include 12 degrees of intensity in 1902 by Adolfo Cancani. It was modified again by Harry O. Wood and Frank Neumann in 1931. It is known today as the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

Mercalli ratings, which are given as Roman numerals, are based on largely subjective interpretations. A low intensity earthquake, one in which only some people feel the vibration and there is no significant property damage, is rated as a II. The highest rating, a XII, is applied to earthquakes in which structures are destroyed, the ground is cracked and other natural disasters, such as landslides or tsunamis, are initiated.

Richter scale ratings are determined soon after an earthquake, once scientists can compare the data from different seismograph stations. Mercalli ratings, on the other hand, can't be determined until investigators have had time to talk to many eyewitnesses to find out what occurred during the earthquake. Once they have a good idea of the range of damage, they use the Mercalli criteria to decide on an appropriate rating.

The Mercalli Intensity Scale measures the intensity of an earthquake by observing its effect on people, the environment and the earth’s surface.

While the Mercalli scale describes the intensity of an earthquake based on its observed effects, the Richter scale describes the earthquake's magnitude by measuring the seismic waves generated by an earthquake. The two scales have different applications and measurement techniques. The Mercalli scale is linear and the Richter scale is logarithmic. i.e. a magnitude 5 earthquake is ten times as intense as a magnitude 4 earthquake.