GeologyScienceSafety
The Richter Scale vs. Moment Magnitude
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Geo LabWe often hear about 'Richter' numbers, but seismologists actually use a different scale today.
Charles Richter developed his scale in 1935 for Californian earthquakes. However, it becomes inaccurate for massive quakes.
Moment Magnitude (Mw)
Today, scientists use the Moment Magnitude scale. It measures the total energy released by the earthquake, based on the stiffness of the rock and the size of the fault rupture. It is far more accurate for global events.
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Geo Lab
Contributing writer at MetricConv, covering measurement science, unit history, and practical conversion guides.
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