The Richter magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the logarithm of the amplitude of waves recorded by seismographs. Adjustments are included to compensate for the variation in the distance between the various seismographs and the epicenter of the earthquake.

Magnitude is the size of the earthquake. An earthquake has a single magnitude. The shaking that it causes has many values that vary from place to place based on distance, type of surface material, and other factors. See the Intensity section below for more details on shaking intensity measurements. Types of Magnitudes.

Jan 21, 2025 · Earthquake magnitude is a measure of the “size,” or amplitude, of the seismic waves generated by an earthquake source and recorded by seismographs. (The types and nature of these waves are described in the section Seismic waves.)

Jul 19, 2023 · The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale that measures the magnitude of an earthquake, originally developed by Charles F. Richter in 1935. It provides an objective …

Seismic magnitude scales are used to describe the overall strength or "size" of an earthquake. These are distinguished from seismic intensity scales that categorize the intensity or severity of ground shaking (quaking) caused by an earthquake at a given location.

Magnitude scales can be used to describe earthquakes so small that they are expressed in negative numbers. The scale also has no upper limit. Learn more about how we measure earthquake magnitude.

Jul 29, 2024 · What does magnitude mean in an earthquake? Magnitude is a measurement of the strength of an earthquake. Officially it's called the moment magnitude scale. It's a logarithmic scale,...

Earthquake magnitude is the measure of the “size” or amplitude of the seismic waves generated by the sources of the earthquake and recorded by the seismograph.

Jan 21, 2025 · Earthquake magnitude is a measure of the “size,” or amplitude, of the seismic waves generated by an earthquake source and recorded by seismographs. (The types and nature of these waves are described in the section Seismic waves.)

Dec 19, 2024 · Richter scale, widely used quantitative measure of an earthquake’s magnitude (size), devised in 1935 by American seismologists Charles F. Richter and Beno Gutenberg.