Figuring Out Richter's Scale

Chicago Sun-Times | January 23, 1994| | Copyright

Monday's earthquake in California measured 6.6 on the Richter scale. That sounds bad, but what does it really mean? To know that, it helps to know first how an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale:

1. The seismograph: There are several kinds of seismographs, which measure ground shaking. The seismograph Charles Richter used in 1935 was one kind, adjusted one way so he could invent his scale.

2. Measuring distance to the epicenter: Richter worked in California, where earthquakes are shallow (less than 10 miles deep) and close to seismographs. Shaking from these quakes will arrive at ...

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