Rich·ter scale (r k t r)n. A logarithmic scale used to express the total amount of energy released by an earthquake. Its values typically fall between 0 and 9, with each increase of 1 representing a 10-fold increase in energy. [After Charles Francis Richter (1900-1985), American seismologist.] |
Richter scale [ˈrɪxtə]
n
(Physics / General Physics) 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 [5]
[named after Charles Richter (1900-85) US seismologist]
| Richter scale (rktr) 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). See Note at earthquake. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | Richter scale - a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 formerly used to express the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of the size of seismograph oscillations geology - a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks graduated table, ordered series, scale, scale of measurement - an ordered reference standard; "judging on a scale of 1 to 10" |
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|