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Charles Francis Richter

Charles Francis Richter Biography

Seismologist

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“Magnitude may be compared to the power output in kilowatts of a [radio] broadcasting station; local intensity, on the Mercalli or similar scale, is then comparable to the signal strength noted on a receiver at a given locality. Intensity, like signal strength, will generally fall off with distance from the source; it will also depend on local conditions at the point of observation, and to some extent on the conditions along the path from source to that point.”

MayScienceFallGivenPowerPathConditionsSourceDependsDistanceRadioScalesLocalsObservationStationsIntensitySignalsMagnitudeOutputReceiverBroadcastingLocality
Author:Charles Francis Richter
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“Most loss of life and property has been due to the collapse of antiquated and unsafe structures, mostly of brick and other masonry. ... There is progress of California toward building new construction according to earthquake-resistant design. We would have less reason to ask for earthquake prediction if this was universal.”

IfsLifeHas BeensReasonScienceAsksLossProgressDesignBuildingUniversalStructurePropertyDuesCaliforniaConstructionCollapsePredictionsBricksEarthquakesUnsafeMasonry
Author:Charles Francis Richter
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“The most remarkable feature about the magnitude scale was that it worked at all and that it could be extended on a worldwide basis. It was originally envisaged as a rather rough-and-ready procedure by which we could grade earthquakes. We would have been happy if we could have assigned just three categories, large, medium, and small; the point is, we wanted to avoid personal judgments. It actually turned out to be quite a finely tuned scale.”

IfsHas BeensWantedThreeReadyJudgmentBasesScalesMediumsFeaturesGradesRemarkableRoughCategoriesProceduresEarthquakesMagnitude
Author:Charles Francis Richter
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