Final answer:
The Enhanced Fujita Scale is utilized to gauge the intensity of tornadoes, categorizing them based on the damage they cause, from EF0 for the weakest to EF5 for the most severe tornadoes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enhanced Fujita Scale is used to measure the intensity of tornadoes. This scale examines the damage caused by tornadoes to estimate their intensity, categorizing them from EF0, which indicates the weakest tornadoes, to EF5, which denotes the strongest ones. Unlike the Richter scale, which is used to quantify the energy produced by an earthquake, the Enhanced Fujita Scale specifically evaluates the destructive power of tornadoes based on the damage they inflict on structures and vegetation.
Although the Enhanced Fujita Scale focuses on tornadoes, there are similar scales for measuring other natural disasters. For instance, hurricanes are classified according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale, which rates them from Category 1 to Category 5 based on minimum wind speed. Earthquakes, on the other hand, are measured by the Richter scale, which identifies the amplitude and energy of seismic waves, examples of which include numbers like 2.3, 4.0, 6.1, and 7.0. These are considered a type of data known as magnitude, reflecting the size and energy release of the earthquakes.