What kind of damage can earthquakes cause?
The method for measuring the shaking effect and damage is what is known as the Richter Scale. The Richter magnitude scale is a mathematical technique used to quantify the size of earthquakes. Developed in 1935 by Charles Richter in collaboration with Beno Gutenberg, both of the California Institute of Technology, the Richter scale assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. Here’s what the scale looks like. (Section of collapsed freeway after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake) • Less than 2.0 – Microearthquakes, not felt.- About 8,000 per year • 2.0-2.9 – Generally not felt, but recorded – No damages – About 1,000 per year • 3.0-3.9 – Often felt, but rarely causes damage.- 49,000 per year (estimated) • 4.0-4.9 – Noticeable shaking of indoor items, rattling noises. Significant damage unlikely. – 6,200 per year(estimated) • 5.0-5.9 – Can cause major damage to poorly constructed buildings over small regions. At most slight damage to well-designed buildings.- 800 per year
