Seismic magnitude scales

A seismic magnitude scale is a way of measuring the size or strength of an earthquake. Scientists use different scales, each with numbers that get bigger as the earthquake gets stronger. When an earthquake happens, scientists measure the seismic waves created by it and compare them with the waves created by other earthquakes. This helps them decide how strong the earthquake is and assign it a number on the seismic magnitude scale. The most common seismic magnitude scale is called the Richter Scale. On this scale, an earthquake at 3.0 or lower is too weak to feel, and an earthquake at 7.0 or higher can cause very serious damage.