Richter Scale (Magnitude Scale)

The Richter Scale is a numerical scale used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes, representing the energy released during an event. Developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter, it quantifies seismic waves recorded by seismographs. Each whole number increase on the scale corresponds to a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and roughly 31.6 times more energy release. For example, a magnitude 5 earthquake is ten times larger in wave amplitude than a magnitude 4. The scale helps convey the strength of earthquakes, aiding in public awareness and safety preparations.