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discription of moment magnitude scale
logarithmic scale
measures total energy released
description of mercalli scale
assesses intensity based on visual evidence
scale 1-12
description of richter scale
measure amplitude of seismic waves
description of volcanic explosivity index
classifies eruptions based on explosivity, volume of ejected material, height of eruption column
logarithmic
advantages of moment magnitude scale
accurate
considers area of fault
disadvantages of moment magnitude scale
complex to calculate
requires lots of technology
advantages of mercalli scale
qualitative assessment
easy to understand
disadvantages of mercalli scale
subjective
useless for scientific analysis
advantages of richter scale
easy to use/understand
quick estimate of magnitude
disadvantages of richter scale
less accurate for large earthquakes
doesn’t account for focus depth
advantages of volcanic explosivity index
standardised measure
helps compare eruptions
disadvantages of volcanic explosivity index
ignore effusive eruptions
subjective so no specific instrument
definition of recurrence interval
expected occurrence of an event of a particular size
definition of magnitude
strength of a hazard and often refers to the amount of energy released
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