Richter scale

Rich·ter scale

R0235600 (rĭk′tər)n. A logarithmic scale used to express the amount of energy released by an earthquake. Its values typically fall between 0 and 9, with each increase of 1 representing a 10-fold increase in energy.

[After Charles Francis Richter (1900-1985), American seismologist.]

Richter scale

(ˈrɪxtə) n (General Physics) a scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake in terms of the logarithm of the amplitude of the ground wave; values range from 0 to over 9. Compare Mercalli scale See also magnitude⁵[C20: named after Charles Richter (1900–85), US seismologist]

Rich′ter scale`

n. a logarithmic scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake, a measurement under 5 considered minor and over 7 indicating major destruction. [1935–40; after Charles French. Richter (1900–85), U.S. seismologist]

Rich·ter scale

(rĭk′tər) A scale used to rate the strength or total energy of earthquakes. The scale has no upper limit but usually ranges from 1 to 9. Each increase in whole number represents a tenfold increase in magnitude, so that an earthquake rated as 5 is ten times as powerful as one rated as 4. An earthquake with a magnitude of 1 is detectable only by instruments (seismographs); one with a magnitude of 7 is a major earthquake. See Note at earthquake.

Thesaurus

Noun

Richter scale - a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 formerly used to express the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of the size of seismograph oscillationsgeology - a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocksgraduated table, ordered series, scale, scale of measurement - an ordered reference standard; "judging on a scale of 1 to 10"

Translations

Richter scale

(rĭk`tər), measure of the magnitude of seismic waves from an earthquakeearthquake,
trembling or shaking movement of the earth's surface. Most earthquakes are minor tremors. Larger earthquakes usually begin with slight tremors but rapidly take the form of one or more violent shocks, and end in vibrations of gradually diminishing force called
..... Click the link for more information. . Devised in 1935 by the American seismologist Charles F. Richter (1900–1985) and technically known as the local magnitude scale, it has been superseded by the moment magnitude scale, which was developed in the 1970s. The Richter scale is logarithmic; that is, the amplitude of the waves increases by powers of 10 in relation to the Richter magnitude numbers. The energy released in an earthquake can easily be approximated by an equation that includes this magnitude and the distance from the seismograph to the earthquake's epicenter. Numbers for the Richter scale range from 0 to 9, though no real upper limit exists. An earthquake whose magnitude is greater than 4.5 on this scale can cause damage to buildings and other structures; severe earthquakes have magnitudes greater than 7. Like ripples formed when a pebble is dropped into water, earthquake waves travel outward in all directions, gradually losing energy, with the intensity of earth movement and ground damage generally decreasing at greater distances from the earthquake focus. In addition, the nature of the underlying rock or soil affects ground movements. In order to give a rating to the effects of an earthquake in a particular place, the modified Mercalli scale, based on a scale developed by the Italian seismologist Giuseppe Mercalli, is often used. It measures an earthquake's intensity, the severity of an earthquake in terms of its effects on the inhabitants of an area, e.g., how much damage it causes to buildings.

Richter scale

[′rik·tər ‚skāl] (geophysics) A scale of numerical values of earthquake magnitude ranging from 1 to 9.

Richter scale

a scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake in terms of the logarithm of the amplitude of the ground wave; values range from 0 to over 9

Richter scale

Related to Richter scale: Moment magnitude scale, tsunami

noun

Words related to Richter scale

noun a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 formerly used to express the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of the size of seismograph oscillations

Related Words

geology
graduated table
ordered series
scale
scale of measurement