How dose The Richter Scale work?

The Richter Scale is used to rate the magnitude of an earthquake which is the amount of energy it released. This is calculated using information gathered by a seismograph.

The largest earthquake on record registered an 9.5 on the currently used Richter Scale, though there have certainly been stronger quakes in Earth's history. The majority of earthquakes register less than 3 on the Richter Scale. These tremors, which aren't usually felt by humans, are called microquakes. Generally, you won't see much damage from earthquakes that rate below 4 on the Richter Scale. Major earthquakes generally register at 7 or above. Richter ratings only give you a rough idea of the actual impact of an earthquake. An earthquake's destructive power varies depending on the composition of the ground in an area and the design and placement of manmade structures. Richer Scales help tell us anbout how much damage the earthquake has done.

What Is The Richter Scale?

The Richter Scale Rating.


The Richter scale was invented in 1935, by a man named Charles F. Richter. This scale is used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes.e scale, more formally known as the Richter magnitude test scale, ranges from 0 to over 8.0. It is a logarithmic scale, meaning each unit increase on the scale corresponds to an absolute increase by an order of magnitude, or factor of 10.Earthquakes dont become newsworthy until it hits about 5, at magnitudes of 7.0 or 8.0 the damage can be catastrophic.The magnitude of an earthquake is measured using a seismometer. The original Richter scale was based on a particular sort of seismometer.

Seismographs:


During an earthquake, vibrations caused by the breakage of rock along a fault zone radiate outward from the point of rupture. What measures the vibrations is called a seismographs. Traditional seismographs consisted of a sensing element, called a seismometer, an amplifier, and a hardcopy display unit often using photographic or heat-sensitive paper.

What Is an Earthquake?

An Earthquake is the movement between plates when collided together. Earthquakes can also be pushed together or pulled apart. Many earthquakes cause most of mountains and volcanic issues. The earths crust is broken into large segments called crustal plates. There are six large crustal plates and several smaller ones. When these plates collide it creates a movement through the earth and shakes it up.
Rock layers slide past each other along crack lines called faults.

A normal fault : Pulled Apart. With a Angle of 60 degrees. E.G. The Red Sea.

A Reverse Fault : Compression. With a Angle of 30 degrees. E.G. The Rocky Mountains

Strike Slip : Opposite Directions. With a Angle of 90 degrees.E.G. San Andreas Fault.