How Does The Richter Scale Work?

Nepal has been hit by two huge earthquakes, a 7.8 and a 7.3 on the Richter Scale. What are the different ways seismologists measure earthquakes and what do these ratings mean? Read More: Earthquake Facts and Statistics http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php How Earthquakes Work http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/earthquake6.htm The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/mercalli.php "The effect of an earthquake on the Earth's surface is called the intensity. The intensity scale consists of a series of certain key responses such as people awakening, movement of furniture, damage to chimneys, and finally - total destruction." Magnitude VS Intensity http://pnsn.org/outreach/about-earthquakes/magnitude-intensity "Perhaps no seismic subject is as irksome to seismologists as discussions of earthquake size. There often seems to be no end of confusion, misunderstanding, and over-interpretation of what are really pretty crude metrics." ____________________ DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories & perspectives you won't find anywhere else! New videos twice daily. Watch More DNews on TestTube http://testtube.com/dnews Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=dnewschannel DNews on Twitter http://twitter.com/dnews Trace Dominguez on Twitter https://twitter.com/tracedominguez Julia Wilde on Twitter https://twitter.com/julia_sci DNews on Facebook https://facebook.com/DiscoveryNews DNews on Google+ http://gplus.to/dnews Discovery News http://discoverynews.com Download the TestTube App: http://testu.be/1ndmmMq