Story at a glance
- One of the most commonly known earthquake-measuring tools is the Richter Scale, but the system is no longer used today.
- The Richter scale was replaced in the 1970s by other magnitude scales that are more accurate.
- Even though it’s outdated, the term is still used often when discussing earthquakes.
(WHTM) – Residents along much of the East Coast felt shaking Friday morning as a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck New Jersey.
One of the most commonly known earthquake-measuring tools is the Richter Scale, but the system is no longer used today.
In fact, the Richter scale was replaced in the 1970s by other magnitude scales that are more accurate.
Even though it’s outdated, the term is still used often when discussing earthquakes.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the system was first introduced in the early 1930s by American seismologist and physicist Charles Richter — who collaborated with German-American seismologist Beno Gutenberg — to measure the size of earthquakes occurring in southern California.
The logarithmic earthquake magnitude scale used relatively high-frequency data from nearby seismograph stations, according to the USGS, but as more stations were installed around the world, scientists began to notice limitations.
Among the problems was that the scale was only valid for certain frequencies and distances.
In response, a new magnitude system was developed, known as moment magnitude (Mw). This system, according to the USGS, is more reliable for determining earthquake size, particularly for bigger earthquakes.
