What is the scientifically preferred scale used globally by seismologists to measure the total energy released by large earthquakes, replacing the traditional Richter scale for accuracy?

💡 Explanation:

The Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS) is the modern standard for measuring earthquake size, as it more accurately estimates the total energy released and the physical size of the fault rupture compared to the older, limited Richter Scale. The Mercalli scale measures observed damage and intensity (not energy), while the Beaufort and Fujita scales measure wind speed and tornado intensity, respectively.