It was invented in China in 132. The gadget included eight metal dragons circling a cylinder, each holding a bronze ball.
Each dragon's mouth would release a ball into a waiting container. The direction of the quake was determined by the dragon's ball discharge.
The equipment allegedly detected a 400-mile-away quake. This early technology could detect an earthquake but not measure its intensity.
Seismographs, which record ground motion during earthquakes, were invented in 1890. Because earthquakes are greatest near the epicentre and weakest further away.
Nowadays, multi-station seismographic networks are utilised to pinpoint a quake's centre and size. 24/7 Tempo analysed USGS data to find the 20 most intense earthquakes ever recorded (USGS).
Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw). The quakes studied occurred in the 20th century and later, while those occuring prior to this time could not be standardised.
Magnitude values for earthquakes occurring before 1935 are based on historical seismogram readings.
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