What measurements did Charles Richter use to develop the Richter scale?

Question

What measurements did Charles Richter use to develop the Richter scale?

Answer 1

The measurements Charles F. Richter used to create the richter scale, was from the amplitude of the largest wave recorded from an earthquake. It didn't matter what type of wave it was.

Answer 2

The Richter magnitude scale was developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter of the California Institute of Technology as a mathematical device to compare the size of earthquakes. The magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the logarithm of the amplitude of waves recorded by seismographs. Adjustments are included in the magnitude formula to compensate for the variation in the distance between the various seismographs and the epicenter of the earthquakes Richter used the data from seismographs.  However, he was very disorganized and had no idea how to formulate a scale.  Then in 1930 the 41-year-old German scientist Beno Gutenberg joined the lab, a highly respected seismologist who had been the first to determine the precise depth of the Earth’s core. Without him, Richter might not have developed his scale. Gutenberg, generous, kindly and adored by his colleagues, was the observer and inquirer. Richter was the numbers man who analyzed the data and drew conclusions. Gutenberg brought a formidable drive and organizational skill to his subject. Richter, hopelessly disorganized and at odds with himself, needed those skills to harness his horses.  

Richter introduced the word magnitude into seismology. Gutenberg gave him the idea to base the scale on logarithms. Earthquake energy increases by a factor of 30, so a magnitude-4 earthquake is 30 times more energetic than a magnitude-3. Richter gave no indication of an upper limit.

EDIT:

Do you mean that you want:

specific values

specific unit of measurement

specific earthquakes that were used

Try:

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/seismology/peo...

http://www.bookrags.com/research/earthqu...

http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/...

Answer 3

The magnitude of most earthquakes is measured on the Richter scale, invented by Charles F. Richter in 1934. The Richter magnitude is calculated from the amplitude of the largest seismic wave recorded for the earthquake, no matter what type of wave was the strongest.

The Richter magnitudes are based on a logarithmic scale (base 10). What this means is that for each whole number you go up on the Richter scale, the amplitude of the ground motion recorded by a seismograph goes up ten times. Using this scale, a magnitude 5 earthquake would result in ten times the level of ground shaking as a magnitude 4 earthquake (and 32 times as much energy would be released). To give you an idea how these numbers can add up, think of it in terms of the energy released by explosives: a magnitude 1 seismic wave releases as much energy as blowing up 6 ounces of TNT. A magnitude 8 earthquake releases as much energy as detonating 6 million tons of TNT.