This table is an abridged copy of the Mercalli Intensity Scale. Use the following eyewitness account to determine the damage inflicted by this seismic event:
I was driving home when the earthquake hit. It's a good thing I wasn't far from home, because I had to pull over to the side of the road. The entrance to my neighborhood was blocked because of fallen trees and telephone polls. Thank goodness the school was built according to the earthquake codes Although the school survived with a few cracks in the walls, most of the houses in the neighborhood had significant damage. The bricks from my chimney were all over the driveway. I had to crawl in through a window because I couldn't get the door open. Once I was in, I saw that it was blocked by one of my bookcases that had fallen over.
A) III
B) VI
C) VIII
D) IX
Question 2
Assuming your S-P interval was 10 seconds and the maximum amplitude of the largest wave on the seismogram was 20 mm, what is the magnitude of this earthquake?
A) M 1
B) M 4.3
C) M 5
D) 5.3