Page 3 - Microsoft Word - 12.1 INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL DISASTER AND EARTHQUAKE

 Earthquakes are measured in the Richter Scale. The scale starts from magnitude 1.
 Earthquake with magnitude 2 in the scale or less are weak and can be felt only a little.
 Earthquake with magnitude 5-6can cause slight damage.
 Earthquakes with magnitude 7 and above can cause heavy destruction.
 The instrument used to measure Earthquake is known as the Richter scale. The Richter
scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake (how powerful it is). It is measured
using a machine called a seismometer which produces a seismograph.

Seismogram Richter Scale

What are the Effects of an Earthquake?
Following are the effects of the earthquake:

 Ground shaking: Surface waves that are near the epicentre are responsible for the
earthquake. The intensity of ground shaking depends on the duration, local geology,
and distance.
 Damage to a man-made structure.
 An outbreak of fire and spilling of hazardous chemicals.