Charles Richter

Charles Richter was an American seismologist best known for developing the Richter scale in 1935, a way to measure the size of earthquakes. The Richter scale quantifies earthquake energy by assigning a numerical value, with higher numbers indicating more powerful quakes. It uses data from seismographs, sensitive instruments that record ground motion. While the scale is most accurate for nearby, small to moderate earthquakes, it has been foundational in understanding seismic activity and assessing earthquake risks worldwide. Richter’s work greatly improved our ability to analyze and compare earthquake strengths consistently.