Asked by jakeevia

Which statement describes the Richter scale?

A) It cannot account for fault movement during an earthquake.
B) It measures large earthquakes far from the seismograph.
C) It estimates the total energy released from an earthquake.
D) It measures magnitude based on the size of seismic waves.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
D) It measures magnitude based on the size of seismic waves.

The Richter (local magnitude) scale is calculated from the logarithm of the amplitude of seismic waves recorded on a seismograph. It is most accurate for nearby, small-to-moderate quakes; moment magnitude (Mw) better estimates total energy released.