Charles Francis Richter
Charles Francis Richter
Charles Francis Richterwas an American seismologist and physicist...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth26 April 1900
CountryUnited States of America
Charles Francis Richter quotes about
mother nature children
No joy in nature is so sublimely affecting as the joy of a mother at the good fortune of a child.
men thinking light
It is a common remark that men talk most who think least; just as frogs cease their quacking when a light is brought to the water-side.
limitation
it is good to have measured myself, to recognize my limitations.
emphasis factor horizontal ordinary structures vertical
Emphasis was usually put on the horizontal acceleration factor, for the simple reason that ordinary structures have a built-in safety factor for the vertical component; that is, gravity.
assigned range similar
This is very similar to astronomy where different magnitudes are assigned to the brightness of an astronomical object, depending on the range of wavelengths being measured.
although conditions depends distance fall generally intensity local pathway signal source strength
Intensity like signal strength will generally fall off with distance from the source, although it also depends on the local conditions and the pathway from the source to the point.
amateur astronomy brought interest term
My amateur interest in astronomy brought out the term 'magnitude,' which is used for the brightness of a star.
correction might recorded suggested terms
I suggested that we might compare earthquakes in terms of the measured amplitudes recorded at these stations, with an appropriate correction for distance.
curve individual standard
By moving them vertically, a representative mean curve could be formed, and individual events were then characterized by individual logarithmic differences from the standard curve.
frequently instrument itself magnitude scale visitors
There is another common misapprehension that the magnitude scale is itself some kind of instrument or apparatus. Visitors will frequently ask to 'see the scale.'
assigned avoid finely point quite three turned
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.
antiquated collapse due life mostly point property unsafe
I usually point out that most loss of life and property has been due to the collapse of antiquated and unsafe structures, mostly of brick and other masonry.
apply extending great gutenberg less magnitude parts played scale usual
Incidentally, the usual designation of the magnitude scale to my name does less than justice to the great part that Dr. Gutenberg played in extending the scale to apply to earthquakes in all parts of the world.
closer constant except magnitude proved scale scaling truth
What emerged, of course, was that the magnitude scale presupposed that all earthquakes were alike except for a constant scaling factor. And this proved to be closer to the truth than we expected.