The Richter scale is quantitative logarithmic scale.
| Richter scale # | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 - 4.3 | Vibrations are recorded by instruments |
| People at rest upstairs notice shaking | |
| Shaking felt indoors; hanging objects swing | |
| 4.3 - 4.8 | Dishes rattle; standing cars rock; trees shake |
| Doors swing; liquid spills from glasses; sleepers awake | |
| 4.8 - 6.2 | People walk unsteadily; windows break; pictures fall off walls |
| Difficult to stand; plaster,bricks, and tiles fall; large bells ring | |
| 6.2 - 7.3 | Car steering affected; chimneys fall; branches break; cracks in wet ground |
| General panic; damage to foundations; sand and mud bubble from ground | |
| Most buildings destroyed; large landslides; water thrown out of rivers | |
| 7.3 - 8.9 | Railway tracks bend; roads break up; large cracks appear in ground; rocks fall |
| Total destruction; "waves" seen on ground surface; river courses altered; vision distorted |