Importance of the Richter Scale

The Richter Scale, also known as the Richter Seismological Scale, is a set of patterns and data that serves mainly to know and measure the impact that seismological or plate movements generate in different parts of the planet.

These data are especially important for inhabited areas where these movements occur, which implies preventing disasters and human tragedies. Unfortunately, some of the most populated areas of the planet are those that suffer these phenomena with greater frequency, for which the scale helps to better understand their reality and understand why they happen.

Understanding the operation of the Richter Scale: values ​​and scope

The values that analyzes this scale range from 2.0 to 6.9, going from imperceptible seismic movements or microseisms to strong earthquakes. Between these values ​​we also find minor, moderate, light and moderately strong earthquakes.

It is essential to point out that the values ​​that exceed 6.9 (that is, from 7.0 to 10 or more) are measured with values ​​from the seismological scale of moment magnitude, a scale that was developed after the Richter scale and that served to complement the data of those earthquakes that exceeded the values ​​established by the first. In any case, it is worth noting that the name of Richter values ​​is often misused when the magnitude exceeds 6.9.

The Richter scale was developed around 1935, while the second is much more current (late 1970s) and allowed to know exactly math and physical seismic movements that generated complications in different parts of the world.

In the case of the Richter Scale, the information provided from the analysis of the motion Seismic is the amount of energy that is released from within the Earth to generate the earthquake, tsunami, tsunami, or break in question. It also analyzes the time it takes to release that energy and the number of kilometers around on which it has an effect, which is an important piece of information to know the consequences of the same.

The history of earthquakes: incredible variety and strength

When we talk about seismic movements, in most cases we refer to phenomena that affect different regions of the planet. In the history of Humanity there have been innumerable cases of earthquakes and earthquakes of great force that harmed large populations.

Some of the strongest are, for example, those that occurred in 2004 in Southeast Asia and that caused more than two hundred thousand deaths, the earthquake in Japan in 2011 that caused strong aftershocks and was even felt on the coasts of Chile, earthquakes in Valdivia, Alaska, Peru, Mexico and other regions at different times in the 20th century.

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