Typical Maximum Modified

Magnitude
Mercalli Intensity

1.0–3.0 I

3.0–3.9 II–III

4.0–4.9 IV–V

5.0–5.9 VI–VII

6.0–6.9 VII–IX

7.0 and
VIII or higher
higher

Peak ground Notable

Scale level Ground conditions
acceleration (approx.)[18] Examples

Felt by nearly everyone; many

awakened: Some dishes and 2010
V. 0.062 g0 (0.61 m/s2)
windows are broken. Unstable Mentawai
Moderate objects are earthquake
overturned. Pendulum and tsunami
clocks may stop.

Felt by all, and many are

frightened. Some heavy furniture 2021 West
VI. 0.12 g0 (1.2 m/s2) is moved; a few instances of Sulawesi
Strong fallen plaster occur. Damage is earthquake
slight.

May 1998
Damage is negligible in buildings
Afghanistan
of good design and construction;
earthquake,
but slight to moderate in well-
2002 Hindu
VII. Very 0.22 g0 (2.2 m/s2)
built ordinary structures; damage
Kush
strong is considerable in poorly built or
earthquakes,
badly designed structures; some
and 2009
chimneys are broken. Noticed by
Sumatra
motorists.
earthquakes
 Damage slight in specially
designed structures;
considerable damage in ordinary 2011 Tōhoku
substantial buildings with partial earthquake
collapse. Damage great in poorly and tsunami,
VIII. 0.40 g0 (3.9 m/s2)
built structures. Fall of chimneys, 2021 Haiti
Severe factory stacks, columns, earthquake,
monuments, walls. Heavy and 2023
furniture overturned. Sand and Herat
mud ejected in small amounts. earthquakes
Changes in well water. Motorists
are disturbed.

Damage is considerable in 2006

specially designed structures; Yogyakarta
well-designed frame structures earthquake,
are thrown off-kilter. Damage is June 2022
IX. 0.75 g0 (7.4 m/s2) great in substantial buildings, Afghanistan
Violent with partial collapse. Buildings earthquake,
are shifted off and 2023 Al
foundations. Liquefaction occurs. Haouz
Underground pipes are broken. earthquake

Some well-built wooden 2010 Haiti

structures are destroyed; most earthquake,
masonry and frame structures April 2015
are destroyed with foundations. Nepal
X. Rails are bent. Landslides earthquake,
Extreme considerable from river banks and 2018
and steep slopes. Shifted sand Sulawesi
and mud. Water splashed over earthquake
banks. and tsunami

Few, if any, (masonry) structures 1995 Kobe

>1.39 g0 (13.6 m/s2) remain standing. Bridges are earthquake,
destroyed. Broad fissures erupt 2005
XI. in the ground. Underground Kashmir
Extreme pipelines are rendered earthquake,
completely out of service. Earth and 2008
slumps and land slips in soft Sichuan
ground. Rails are bent greatly. earthquake

Damage is total. Waves are 1939

XII. seen on ground surfaces. Lines Erzincan
Extreme of sight and level are distorted. earthquake,
Objects are thrown upward into 1960 Valdivia
 earthquake,
and 2023
the air.
Turkey–Syria
earthquakes