What is the Richter scale?

The waves from an earthquake can be measured by known units of seismographs. These units are used to record the waves of an earthquake that help to know the intensity of the earthquake. These records are then represented in traces showing the movements of the waves which are then converted to the Ritcher scale. The device can record earthquake waves that take place at a considerable distance; however, this depends on the sensitivity of the device. The Richter scale is limited to measuring the intensity of the earthquake and does not account for the amount of damage caused. The scale cannot take into account the damage caused, since it cannot differentiate between a place where there is material that can be damaged and those that do not have it.

The Richter scale is named after its developer who devised it in 1935. His goal was to have a device that could offer a comparison of different earthquakes in terms of magnitude. The scale uses the logarithm of wave amplitude recorded by the seismograph and makes adjustments for the distance to the device and the epicenter of the earthquake. Today, the seismograph and the Ritcher scale are used together regardless of the brand.

The results of the scale are presented in whole numbers, decimal fractions up to the tenth. If the magnitude of an earthquake is equal to ten times the amplitude of the waves on the ground, each whole number increases.

The Ritche scale measurements are as follows:

Less than 3.4 – can be detected by locally recording devices, there are numerous earthquakes of this caliber annually.

3.5- 4.2- this can be vaguely noticed, there are about 30,000 of this annually.

4.3- 4.8- at this level the earthquake shakes windows and doors and can be noticed by humans. There are 4,800 of these annually.

4.9-5.4 – this magnitude causes some damage to buildings. There are 500 of them every year.

6.2-6.9, 7.0-7.3, 7.4-7.9, Over 8.0 – These levels are known to cause serious damage to property, buildings, and also throw things.