What is the Richter scale and how does it work?

A earthquake it is probably the only thing that has the strength to shake any place in the world and even move an entire continent. The energy released in an earthquake is practically inconceivable, so it has its own scale to measure. Well known around the world, surely her name sounds familiar to you: the richte scaler.

Index

1. The Richter scale: definition and operation
2. Richter scale magnitudes
3. Worst earthquake

This scale shows the amount of energy that accumulates in the earth's crust and that is released instantly and enormously, thus forming the seismic waves that are popularly known as an earthquake.

Various scales are used to measure the magnitude of the earthquake, the Richter being the best known. It was devised by the American scientist Charles Richter in 1935, who worked with the German Beno Gutenberg at the California Institute of Technology.

With this scale, the assigned values ​​increase logarithmically rather than linearly.

It is curious that, despite being one of the best known by the media and citizens, seismology specialists prefer to use others that are more modern and accurate.

The Richter scale reaches various magnitudes and the smallest ones leave us imperceptible earthquakes in many cases. In fact, the lowest, less than 2.0, are usually present in more than 8,000 earthquakes every day, while between 2.0-2.9 there are about 1,000 daily.

Let's look at the following in more detail:

• 3.0-3.9: they are often perceived, although they rarely cause harm. There are usually 49,000 a year.
• 4.0-4.9: It is considered a light earthquake and causes objects in rooms to make noise, but without damage. 6,200 per year.
• 5.0-5.9: it is moderate and appears 800 times a year. It can cause significant damage to buildings that are weak or of poor quality, but are minor if the building is good.
• 6.0-6.9: At this point it is considered strong, and there are about 120 a year. It is so powerful that it can even destroy populated areas in a 100-mile radius.

In larger magnitudes, other scales are usually used, although compared to this it would be:

• 7.0-7.9 (18 per year, very serious damage in large areas)
• 8.0-8.9 (1-3 a year, damages in hundreds of kilometers)
• 9.0-9.9 (devastating in thousands of kilometers, occurs one every 20 years)

One greater than 10 has never been detected.

In the entire history of mankind, the earthquake with the highest recorded magnitude was 9.5 and occurred in Valdivia (Chile) in 1960. It left almost a thousand dead, some 1,500 missing and 200 wounded. It was so devastating that it took away a good part of southern Chile, not only in Valdivia but also in other places such as Concepción, Chillán or Talcahuano.

In our country, the earthquake in Lorca, in Murcia, in May 2011 is still fresh in our memory. 9 fatalities and more than 300 injured were the personal damages caused, in addition to so many materials that the city has not yet fully recovered.

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