Richter magnitude

The Richter magnitude is a way to measure the size of an earthquake. It’s calculated based on the earthquake's seismic waves recorded by seismometers. The scale is logarithmic, meaning each whole number increase represents roughly a tenfold increase in wave amplitude and about 31 times more energy released. For example, a magnitude 6 earthquake is ten times stronger than a magnitude 5. The Richter scale helps scientists quantify and compare earthquakes objectively, providing a consistent measure of their size and potential impact.