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The Richter scale [1] (/ ˈ r ɪ k t ər /), also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale, [2] is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Richter in collaboration with Beno Gutenberg, and presented in Richter's landmark 1935 paper, where he called it the "magnitude scale". [3]
All magnitude scales retain the logarithmic scale as devised by Charles Richter, and are adjusted so the mid-range approximately correlates with the original "Richter" scale. [ 8 ] Most magnitude scales are based on measurements of only part of an earthquake's seismic wave-train, and therefore are incomplete.
That is, many low-magnitude earthquakes are not catalogued because fewer stations detect and record them due to decreasing instrumental signal to noise levels. Some modern models of earthquake dynamics, however, predict a physical roll-off in the earthquake size distribution. [13] The a-value represents the total seismicity rate of the region ...
A major earthquake measuring 7.4 hit Taiwan early Wednesday, killing 9 and injuring at least 1,000. A 7.4 earthquake is exponentially more destructive than the 4.8 quake that struck central New ...
Similar to the local magnitude/Richter scale (M L ) defined by Charles Francis Richter in 1935, it uses a logarithmic scale; small earthquakes have approximately the same magnitudes on both scales. Despite the difference, news media often use the term "Richter scale" when referring to the moment magnitude scale.
Seismic intensity scales categorize the intensity or severity of ground shaking (quaking) at a given location, such as resulting from an earthquake. They are distinguished from seismic magnitude scales , which measure the magnitude or overall strength of an earthquake, which may, or perhaps may not, cause perceptible shaking.
Richter's original scale, explicitly denoted with the symbol "ML" or "M L" (where "L" indicates "Local"), was developed for measuring the magnitude of earthquakes in the vicinity of southern California. While the "Richter" and moment magnitude scales are similar, they do differ, particularly for earthquakes stronger than about M 6.5, or deeper ...
Moderately damaging earthquakes strike between New York and Wilmington, Delaware, about twice a century, the USGS said, and smaller earthquakes are felt in the region roughly every two to three years.