the Richter scale

noun

technical

: a system of measurement used for showing the strength of an earthquake

The earthquake measured 4.5 on the Richter scale.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

And the 49ers’ remaining roster additions before next month’s draft figure to be similar moves that won’t register on the Richter scale. —Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Mar. 2023

The magnitude is now calculated at 6.4, but the Richter scale had yet to be created. —Patt Morrisoncolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2023

While Turkey has been struck with 7.0-magnitude quakes this century, this is thought to be the worst since 1939 — the Richter scale is logarithmic, and a 7.8-magnitude quake is almost 16 times as strong as one that measures 7.0. —David Faris, The Week, 9 Feb. 2023

The quake, whose epicenter was the Turkish city of Gaziantep, measured 7.8 on the Richter scale. —David Faris, The Week, 9 Feb. 2023