Advertisement

Advertisement

Richter scale

noun

  1. a scale, ranging from 1 to 10, for indicating the intensity of an earthquake.


Richter scale

/ ˈrɪxtə /

noun

  1. a scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake in terms of the logarithm of the amplitude of the ground wave; values range from 0 to over 9 Compare Mercalli scale See also magnitude
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Richter scale

/ rĭktər /

  1. A logarithmic scale used to rate the strength or total energy of earthquakes. The scale has no upper limit but usually ranges from 1 to 9. Because it is logarithmic, an earthquake rated as 5 is ten times as powerful as one rated as 4. An earthquake with a magnitude of 1 is detectable only by seismographs; one with a magnitude of 7 is a major earthquake. The Richter scale is named after the American seismologist Charles Francis Richter (1900–1985).
  2. See Note at earthquake


Richter scale

  1. A scale used to rate the intensity of earthquakes . The scale is open-ended, with each succeeding level representing ten times as much energy as the last. A serious earthquake might rate six to eight, and very destructive quakes rate higher.


Discover More

Notes

No quake greater than nine has ever been recorded.
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of Richter scale1

1935–40; after Charles F. Richter (1900–85), U.S. seismologist
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of Richter scale1

C20: named after Charles Richter (1900–85) US seismologist
Discover More

Compare Meanings

How does Richter scale compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

Example Sentences

The most recent activity had a high point of 3.6 on the Richter Scale.

This is how seismic safety is done, by the force of gravity, not from Richter-scale measurements.

The Taliban advance should be causing high Richter-scale reactions inside the Obama White House.

The magnitude of an earthquake, usually expressed by the Richter Scale, is a measure of the amplitude of the seismic waves.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


RichterRichthofen