Charles Richter developed his scale using the maximum amplitude (height) of the largest wave recorded on a Wood-Anderson torsion seismograph. It was originally designed only for shallow earthquakes in Southern California, using a base-10 logarithmic calculation to handle the wide range of wave sizes. ANSWER: (B) The maximum amplitude of the S-wave recorded on a specific seismograph.
The ‘Richter Scale’ is a measure of magnitude based on: (A) The total area of the fault. (B) The maximum amplitude of the S-wave recorded on a specific seismograph. (C) The number of buildings destroyed. (D) The duration of the shaking in minutes.
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The Richter scale was the first successful attempt to give a single number to an earthquake’s size. However, because it only measures one peak on a seismogram, it doesn’t account for the “total” energy of very long-duration quakes. It is a “Local Magnitude” scale. While the public still uses the term “Richter,” scientists have largely moved to the Moment Magnitude Scale, which looks at the physical “work” done by the fault. Still, the Richter scale’s logarithmic logic remains the foundation for how we perceive and communicate earthquake power today.