Which scale is used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes?

The scale utilized to measure the magnitude of earthquakes is the Richter scale. Developed in the 1930s by Charles F. Richter, this logarithmic scale quantifies the amount of energy released by an earthquake, known as its magnitude. The Richter scale assigns a single number to quantify the overall size of the earthquake based on the amplitude of seismic waves recorded on a seismogram.

The Richter scale is particularly effective in measuring small to moderate earthquakes and is commonly presented in media reports to give a sense of the earthquake's strength. It is important to note that the scale is log-based: each whole number increase on the Richter scale represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and approximately 31.6 times more energy release.

The Fujita scale, in contrast, assesses tornado damage rather than measuring seismic activity. The Beaufort scale describes wind speeds and their effects on the sea and land, and the Mercalli scale measures the intensity of shaking and the perceived effects experienced by people and structures rather than the earthquake's energy release itself. Thus, the Richter scale remains the standard for directly measuring earthquake magnitude.