answersLogoWhite

0

The Richter scale (or local magnitude scale) indicate the energy released by a particular earthquake.

The numerical value is obtained from the logarithm of the maximum amplitude of seismic waves as recorded on a seismometer. This value is then scaled to account for the distance from the epicentre of the earthquake to the seismometer so as to allow the value to be correlated with the local magnitude readings from other seismometers in differing locations (as seismic waves lose their energy as they propagate through the earth so if this correction was not made, then different seismometer stations at different distances would give differing Richter magnitudes for the same earthquake).

It uses a logarithmic mathematical formula which is calibrated so that a ten fold increase in amplitude relates to a single whole number increase on the scale (e.g. an earthquake with a Richter magnitude of 5 has seismic waves with a maximum amplitude 10 times larger than those for a magnitude 4).

The equation for calculating the Richter magnitude (MR) is shown below:

MR = (Log10A) - (Log10A0)

Where

A = maximum zero to peak amplitude of seismic wave (mm) recorded.

A0 = Empirical function derived from the distance from seismometer station to earthquake epicentre

Log10A0 From 0 to 200 km distance:

Log10A0 = 0.15 - 1.6 log(distance in km)

Between 200 and 600 km distance by:

Log10A0 = 3.38 - 3.0 log(distance in km)

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Do you measure earthquakes with Richter scale or the Mercalli scale?

The Richter scale


How do you use Richter Scale in a sentence?

My rebuilt engine is about 7.5 on the Richter scale! Yesterday's earthquake read 3.2 on the Richter scale. The Richter scale was developed in the 1930s.


What scale is measured for an earthquakes strength?

Richter scale is used for measuring earthquakes. It is a scale which works from 1 to 10 magnitude.


What is a numerical scale used to express the strength of an earthquake?

Richter scale


The Pompeii earthquake on the Richter scale?

4-5 on the Richter scale.


What is the Richter scale of the earthquake in Haiti?

It reached 7.0 on the richter scale


What is the Richter scales limit?

The scale of Richter scale is 10. It calculates the earthquake on a scale of 10.


Have tsunamis scale of Richter?

No. The Richter Scale rates the intensity of earthquakes. There is not intensity scale for tsunamis.


What scale is used to describe the strength of an earthquakes?

The scale used to measure the strength of an earthquake is called the Richter scale


The Richter scale is based on measurements of?

The Richter scale is based on measurements of *Amplitude*. (^_^)


What was the recent Japanese earthquake on the Richter scale?

it measured 8.9 on the Richter scale


How does the Richter scale know if there is an aftershock?

The Richter scale does not know anything. The Richter scale is a measurement of the magnitude of an earthquake. The numbers of the scale represent a quantifiable measurement or range of the strength.