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- Earthquake intensity, or violence, is estimated from assessments of damage and numerous eyewitness accounts. Values are usually higher near the epicenter.
- Earthquake magnitude relates to the energy released. In general, each whole number increase in magnitude is a 32-fold increase in energy released.
- There is only one magnitude value on any given scale for a particular earthquake. Some scales rely more on the response of seismometers to the passing waves. The moment-magnitude scale is based on the area of fault-plane ruptured, the displacement, and the rock strength.
11.8 How are earthquakes measured?