The Richter magnitude scale (ML) scale, assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released by an earthquake. It is a logarithmic scale based upon the horizontal amplitude of the largest displacement from zero on a seismometer. Each whole unit (i.e., 1.0) corresponds to an approximate energy increase of 32 time (e.g., a 6.0 M earthquake has 32 time the energy release of a 5.0 M).
An earthquake's magnitude is expressed as a number on the Richter Scale.
An earthquake is measured by a seismometer to determine its magnitude on the Richter Scale. The Richter is based on a base 10 logarithm. The scale defines magnitude by a logirithm of the ratio of the amplitude of seismic waves.
The power of an earthquake is measured using a seismometer to record the seismic waves produced by the earthquake. The magnitude of an earthquake is typically measured using the Richter scale or moment magnitude scale.
The absolute magnitude of a quake is conventionally reported by numbers on the Moment magnitude scale (formerly Richter scale, magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas), whereas the felt magnitude is reported using the modified Mercalli intensity scale (intensity II-XII).
The scale currently used to express the magnitude of earthquakes is the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale (Mw). The moment magnitude scale is more commonly used today as it provides a more accurate measurement of an earthquake's size compared to the Richter scale.
The strongest earthquake that can be measured using the Richter magnitude scale is one with a magnitude of 8.0. For earthquakes larger than this, the moment magnitude scale must be used.
The magnitude of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on the Richter scale was 7.0
An earthquake's magnitude is expressed as a number on the Richter Scale.
An earthquake is measured by a seismometer to determine its magnitude on the Richter Scale. The Richter is based on a base 10 logarithm. The scale defines magnitude by a logirithm of the ratio of the amplitude of seismic waves.
The power of an earthquake is measured using a seismometer to record the seismic waves produced by the earthquake. The magnitude of an earthquake is typically measured using the Richter scale or moment magnitude 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 absolute magnitude of a quake is conventionally reported by numbers on the Moment magnitude scale (formerly Richter scale, magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas), whereas the felt magnitude is reported using the modified Mercalli intensity scale (intensity II-XII).
The scale currently used to express the magnitude of earthquakes is the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale (Mw). The moment magnitude scale is more commonly used today as it provides a more accurate measurement of an earthquake's size compared to the Richter scale.
Richter scale
The Richter scale assigns a magnitude number to an earthquake based on the maximum amplitude of the seismic waves as recorded on a seismometer and the distance of the seismometer station from the epicentre of the earthquake.
The most commonly referred to scale by the press and the public is the Richter scale for measuring earthquake magnitude. However this was actually replaced in the 1970s by the Moment Magnitude scale which is the magnitude scale favoured and in use by seismologists.