Question

What is earthquake magnitude?

Answer 1

Earthquakes, until recently, have been measured on the Richter scale. The Richter scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake (how powerful it is). It is measured using a machine called a seismometer which produces a seismograph. A Richter scale is normally numbered 1-10, though there is no upper limit.

Answer 2

Earthquake magnitude is a measure of the “size,” or amplitude, of the seismic waves generated by an earthquake source and recorded by seismographs