Seismology Reference Libraries

The Richter scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released by an earthquake. The scale uses a base-10 logarithm by calculating the logarithm of the combined horizontal amplitude of the largest displacement from zero on a particular type of seismometer. A earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale has a shaking amplitude 10 times larger than one that measures...

The Seismometer is an instrument designed to measure the motions of the ground. This includes seismic waves generated by earthquakes, nuclear explosions, and other seismic sources. Records of these activities allow seismologists to map the interior of the Earth, and locate and measure the size of the different sources. There are also seismographs, which is sometimes used in place of the...