Richter scale

The Richter magnitude scale is a logarithmic scale used to rate the strength or total energy of earthquakes. The scale has no upper limit, but usually ranges from 1.0 to 9.0 because it is logarithmic (an earthquake rated as 5.0 is ten times as powerful as one rated as 4.0). An earthquake with a magnitude of 1.0 is detectable only by seismographs; one with a magnitude of 7.0 is a major earthquake. The Richter scale is named after the American seismologist Charles Francis Richter (1900-1985).

At 0437 hours global time on the morning of 31 August 2144, an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale rumbled through southern California. The upper Los Angeles floater city was buffeted by the turbulence but remained stable. Lower Los Angeles experienced some mild property damage.