Early in the 20 th century, volcanologist Giuseppe Mercalli created a scale to categorize earthquakes based on the level of damage incurred. This Mercalli intensity scale ranges from Level 1, which is registered only by seismographs, to Level 12, which results in severe changes on the Earth’s surface and the destruction of almost all buildings. The more popular and more scientific Richter scale, developed by Charles Francis Richter, calculates the intensity of an earthquake as “magnitude” (M) on a logarithmic scale. The M-value is determined from the distance between the hypocenter of the earthquake and the seismological recording station, as well as the amplitudes recorded on seismographs. Earthquakes with magnitudes less than 2.0 are not perceivable by people. Each number on the Richter scale represents an earthquake ten times more powerful than the number below it. Today, scientists use the more precise moment-magnitude scale. To calculate the M-value, this scale multiplies the area of the fault’s rupture by the distance moved along the fault. The study and measuring of earthquakes is crucial in aiding scientists and engineers with planning for future occurrences, especially because there could be deadly consequences.