March 11, 2011, 01:43 AM
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Administrator
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Join Date: January 22, 2004
Posts: 20,103
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Earthquake Magnitude Scale
| Magnitude | Earthquake Effects | Estimated Number
Each Year | | 2.5 or less | Usually not felt, but can be recorded by seismograph. | 900,000 | | 2.5 to 5.4 | Often felt, but only causes minor damage. | 30,000 | | 5.5 to 6.0 | Slight damage to buildings and other structures. | 500 | | 6.1 to 6.9 | May cause a lot of damage in very populated areas. | 100 | | 7.0 to 7.9 | Major earthquake. Serious damage. | 20 | | 8.0 or greater | Great earthquake. Can totally destroy communities near the epicenter. | One every 5 to 10 years |
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