The Rickter Scale!
Earthquakes are typically measured using the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale, which are both units of measurement for the magnitude of earthquakes.
The standard units used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes are the Richter scale and the moment magnitude scale.
Richter Scale~
a Richter scale
You can measure earthquakes on the Moment magnitude scale or the Richter scale
The average magnitude of earthquakes worldwide is around 4.5 on the Richter scale.
magnitude
There are a number of earthquake magnitude scales, including the moment magnitude scale (the scale currently favoured by seismologists), the Richter or local magnitude scale and the surface wave magnitude scale.
The Richter scale. For larger earthquakes (magnitude greater than 7) and for those with an epicentral distance greater than 700 km from the seismometer station, the Moment magnitude scale is used.
Earthquake strength is measured using a magnitude scale. For small to moderate strength Earthquakes (< magnitude 7) the Richter scale is used. For Earthquakes between 7 and 8 the body and surface magnitude scales are used and for earthquakes larger than 8, the moment magnitude scale is used.
Earthquake strength is measured using a magnitude scale. For small to moderate strength Earthquakes (< magnitude 7) the Richter scale is used. For Earthquakes between 7 and 8 the body and surface magnitude scales are used and for earthquakes larger than 8, the moment magnitude scale is used.
The Richter scale was originally developed to measure the strength or magnitude of moderate earthquakes (magnitudes less than 7). The surface wave magnitude scale was then developed by Richter and Guttenburg to allow larger earthquake magnitudes to be measured (up to 8). To measure large earthquakes the moment magnitude scale must be used. To measure the severity of earthquakes, the Modified Mercalli intensity scale is used in the US and the Macroseismic scale is used in Europe.