Earthquakes are measured using devices called seismometers, which detect the vibrations caused by seismic waves that travel through the Earth's crust. The seismometers typically measure the magnitude and the depth of an earthquake. The magnitude scale used to measure earthquakes is called the Richter scale, named after the inventor, Charles F. Richter. The Richter scale measures the size of an earthquake based on the amplitude of its seismic waves. The seismic waves created by an earthquake can be categorized into two types: P-waves, which are longitudinal waves that travel faster than S-waves, which are transverse waves. The depth of an earthquake is measured in kilometers. To measure the precise location of an earthquake zone, multiple seismographs are used. Each seismograph measures the time taken for different seismic waves to reach it, and with this information, the exact location of the earthquake's epicenter can be determined.
