noun
a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 (a successor to the Richter scale) that enables seismologists to compare the energy released by different earthquakes on the basis of the area of the geological fault that ruptured in the quake
• Topics: ↑geology
• Hypernyms: ↑scale, ↑scale of measurement, ↑graduated table, ↑ordered series
Useful english dictionary. 2012.