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MERCALLI SCALE Definition & Legal Meaning

Definition & Citations:

Earthquake intensity’s qualitative measure. Uses a linear empirical scale based on seismic phenomenon’s observed effects. Earthquake intensity plots on a scale I to XII. Roman numerals are used in contrast to the Richter scale, the measure of earthquake magnitude. In 1902 the Italian geologist Giuseppe Mercalli (1850-1914) defined this method. In 1956 Charles Richter developed the US version known as the Modified Mercalli.

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