GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -It was replaced with the Moment Magnitude Scale, which records all the different seismic waves from an earthquake to seismographs across the world.

Detailed explanation-2: -Magnitude scales can be used to describe earthquakes so small that they are expressed in negative numbers. The scale also has no upper limit.

Detailed explanation-3: -The idea of a logarithmic earthquake magnitude scale was first developed by Charles Richter in the 1930’s for measuring the size of earthquakes occurring in southern California using relatively high-frequency data from nearby seismograph stations.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Richter scale measures the largest wiggle (amplitude) on the recording, but other magnitude scales measure different parts of the earthquake. The USGS currently reports earthquake magnitudes using the Moment Magnitude scale, though many other magnitudes are calculated for research and comparison purposes.

Detailed explanation-5: -While the Mercalli scale describes the intensity of an earthquake based on its observed effects, the Richter scale describes the earthquake’s magnitude by measuring the seismic waves that cause the earthquake. The two scales have different applications and measurement techniques.