Which scale is commonly used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes?

The Richter scale is specifically designed to measure the magnitude of earthquakes, which refers to the energy released at the source of the earthquake. Developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter, this logarithmic scale quantifies the amplitude of seismic waves recorded by seismographs. Each whole number increase on the scale represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and roughly 31.6 times more energy release. This makes the Richter scale particularly useful for comparing the relative sizes of earthquakes and understanding their potential impacts.

In contrast, the other scales mentioned serve different purposes. The Fujita scale classifies tornado intensity based on the damage caused, the Beaufort scale measures wind force based on observed conditions at sea or on land, and the Mohs scale is used to rank the hardness of minerals based on their ability to scratch one another. Therefore, the Richter scale remains the appropriate and standard tool for assessing earthquake magnitude.