How is the magnitude of an earthquake determined?

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The subterranean point of origin of an earthquake is called its focus; the point on the surface directly above the focus is the epicenter. The magnitude and intensity of an earthquake is determined by the use of scales, e.g., the Richter scale and the Mercalli scale.

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Similar questions: What is the epicenter of an earthquake? What is the Richter scale? What is the Mercalli scale? How is the intensity of an earthquake determined? What is the focus of an earthquake? [ Hide these questions ]

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