Final answer:
The Modified Mercalli Intensity scale measures the intensity of an earthquake's effects on people and structures rather than the magnitude, which is the earthquake's energy release.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Modified Mercalli Intensity scale provides information about the intensity of an earthquake, which is a measure of the earthquake’s effects on people, structures, and the Earth’s surface.
Unlike the Richter scale, which quantifies the energy produced by an earthquake in terms of magnitude, the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale is subjective and based on observed damage and human perception. For instance, an earthquake may be assigned a lower intensity in a sparsely populated area with strict building codes, compared to a higher intensity in a heavily populated area with poorly constructed buildings, even if the magnitudes are similar.
Earthquakes and plate tectonics are related as earthquakes often occur along the boundaries of tectonic plates, where they move past each other, collide, or move away from each other. The magnitude of an earthquake, such as 2.1, 5.0, or 6.7, represents the amount of energy released by an earthquake and is typically measured using a logarithmic scale like the Richter scale. Earthquake intensity and magnitude are different in that intensity describes the earthquake's effects while magnitude refers to the earthquake's energy release.
Earthquakes can cause significant destruction of buildings and infrastructure, lead to fires, slope failures, liquefaction, and potentially trigger tsunamis. These effects are all manifestations of the energy carried by earthquake waves, and their impact is gauged differently by various scales, including the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale and the Richter scale.