The European Macroseismic Scale (EMS) is the basis for evaluation of seismic intensity in European countries. Most recently updated in 1998, the scale is referred to as EMS 98. Seismology (from the Greek seismos = earthquake and logos = word) is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...
The history of the EMS began in 1988 when the European Seismological Commission (ESC) decided to review and update the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale (MSK-64), which was used in its basic form in Europe for almost a quarter of a century. After more than five years of intensive research and development and a three-year testing period, the new scale was born. In 1996 the XXV General Assembly of the ESC in Reykjavik passed a resolution recommending the adoption of the new scale by the member countries of the European Seismological Commission. The Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale (MSK-64) is a macroseismic intensity scale used to measure the effects of earthquakes on humans, objects of nature, and structures. ...
Unlike the earthquake magnitude scales, which express the seismic energy released by an earthquake, EMS 98 intensity denotes how strongly an earthquake affects a specific place. The European Macroseismic Scale has 12 divisions, as follows: An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust that creates seismic waves. ...
1. Not felt
Not felt, even under the most favorable circumstances.
2. Scarcely felt
Vibration is felt only by individual people at rest in houses, especially on upper floors of buildings.
3. Weak
The vibration is weak and is felt indoors by a few people. People at rest feel a swaying or light trembling.
4. Largely observed
The earthquake is felt indoors by many people, outdoors by very few. A few people are awakened. The level of vibration is not frightening. Windows, doors and dishes rattle. Hanging objects swing.
5. Strong
The earthquake is felt indoors by most, outdoors by few. Many sleeping people awake. A few run outdoors. Buildings tremble throughout. Hanging objects swing considerably. China and glasses clatter together. The vibration is strong. Topheavy objects topple over. Doors and windows swing open or shut.
6. Slightly damaging
Felt by most indoors and by many outdoors. Many people in buildings are frightened and run outdoors. Small objects fall. Slight damage to many ordinary buildings; for example, fine cracks in plaster and small pieces of plaster fall.
7. Damaging
Most people are frightened and run outdoors. Furniture is shifted and objects fall from shelves in large numbers. Many ordinary buildings suffer moderate damage: small cracks in walls; partial collapse of chimneys.
8. Heavily damaging
Furniture may be overturned. Many ordinary buildings suffer damage: chimneys fall; large cracks appear in walls and a few buildings may partially collapse.
9. Destructive
Monuments and columns fall or are twisted. Many ordinary buildings partially collapse and a few collapse completely.
10. Very destructive
Many ordinary buildings collapse.
11. Devastating
Most ordinary buildings collapse.
12. Completely devastating
Practically all structures above and below ground are heavily damaged or destroyed.
The European Macroseismic Scale is the first intensity scale designed to encourage co-operation between engineers and seismologists, rather than being for use by seismologists alone. It comes with a detailed manual, which includes guidelines, illustrations, and application examples.
In the 1930s, a California seismologist named Charles F. Richter devised a simple numerical scale (which he called the magnitude) to describe the relative sizes of earthquakes, which has come to be called the Richter scale.
Most of the scales in use in the Western world are mutually consistent to a sufficient extent that the term "Richter scale" is routinely used in reporting these numbers to the public.
Earthquake effects are described in terms of Intensity, a scale which attempts to quantify the severity of shaking at a given location.
Richter scale (rĭk'tər), measure of the magnitude of seismic waves from an earthquake, devised in 1935 by the American seismologist Charles F. Richter (1900–1985).
The famous San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was 7.8 on the Richter scale; the Alaskan earthquake of 1964 was 8.4; the Kobe, Japan, quake of 1995 was 6.9; and the Izmit, Turkey, earthquake of 1999 was 7.4.
Intensity scales, such as the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, the EuropeanMacroseismicScale, the Shindo scale, and the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale, are semi-quantitative linear scales.
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