What is the Richter scale and which areas are most vulnerable to quakes?

While the death toll and destruction of the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria dominate the news, many wonder how strong the quake was and what the scale used to measure earthquakes means. The Richter scale is a tool used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes. Developed in the 1930s by seismologist Charles Richter, the scale ranges from 0 to 10.

Enormous Earthquakes Exacerbate Syria's Humanitarian Crisis

Richter Scale - an overview

Where do earthquakes occur? - British Geological Survey

Earthquakes Hazards : Northeast States Emergency Consortium

Tragedy and Temblors: Relief Efforts in Turkey and Syria — Davis

Explaining the science behind the earthquake that hit Turkey and

Seismic magnitude scales - Wikipedia

Where Do Most Earthquakes Occur? - WorldAtlas

Why Turkey is prone to devastating earthquakes - The Hindu

Richter Scale & Magnitude

Unequally vulnerable to earthquakes

Earthquake Magnitude, Energy Release, and Shaking Intensity

How strong is a magnitude-7.8 quake? - The New York Times

Frequent earthquakes a reminder of the vulnerabilities of the