The Richter scale is a (logarithmic) measure of energy released, so says as much about how much area was affected and for how long as about how strong it was at any one place & time. The Modified Mercalli scale is a better measure of how bad a quake is at a particular point.
Jul 6, 2019 · 3:43 AM UTC
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Some good MMI shake maps:
Here are the MMI shake intensities for the M7.1 Ridgecrest and the M7.1 Anchorage earthquakes. Both have Mercalli (MMI) level V shaking for about 20,000 square miles. However, the shallower depth of the Ridgequest quake means the max intensity was IX (vs VIII for Anchorage).
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