AUSTIN (KXAN) — Since the 1890s, the invention of the seismograph has given scientists an understanding of the intensity and magnitude of earthquakes. In 1935, Charles Richter developed the Richter magnitude scale, which quantifies the size of earthquakes based on seismic waves. Currently, we use the Moment Magnitude Scale, which is a logarithmic scale used to measure intensity and size.
Before the invention of the seismograph, scientists examined physical effects, such as faulting, researching historical records and other related simple seismic devices. Different researchers would look at this evidence and argue the magnitude based on post-earthquake impacts.
According to the USGC, the earliest earthquake on record has been traced back to 1831 B.C., in the Shandong province of China…