The Richter Scale

Those folks at the US Census Bureau have been busy compiling the useful information for our enjoyment, and today is no exception:

Whenever there's an earthquake or its resulting tsunami the Richter Scale is always mentioned to gauge its severity. The index is the work of Charles Francis Richter, born on this day in 1900 near Hamilton, Ohio. The scale increases exponentially by the power of 10 so, a 6.5 reading is 10 times as powerful as a 5.5 reading. The devastating tsunami that hit nations ringing the Indian Ocean was caused by an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra registering 8.9 on the Richter Scale the largest since 1964, and the fifth largest since 1900. To better understand such natural phenomena, the U.S. funds more than 9-billion dollars a year in physical and environmental scientific research.

When they say that Charles Richter was born "near" Hamilton, Ohio, they are being approximate, as if to say that he was born in Hamilton, Ohio, but because the landscape has shifted, it is now "near" Hamilton. No? Just a thought.

via U.S. Newswire : Releases : "U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for April 26: The Richter Scale"