ises ▁the ▁population ▁was . ▁The ▁Mer cal li ▁scale ▁also ▁made ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁rate ▁earth qu akes ▁that ▁happened ▁in ▁remote , ▁sp ars ely ▁populated ▁areas . ▁ ▁The ▁scale ▁developed ▁by ▁Rich ter ▁and ▁G uten berg ▁( which ▁became ▁known ▁by ▁Rich ter ' s ▁name ▁only ) ▁was ▁instead ▁an ▁absolute ▁measure ▁of ▁an ▁earth qu ake ' s ▁intensity . ▁Rich ter ▁used ▁a ▁se ism ograph , ▁an ▁instrument ▁generally ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁constantly ▁unw inding ▁roll ▁of ▁paper , ▁anch ored ▁to ▁a ▁fixed ▁place , ▁and ▁a ▁p end ul um ▁or ▁magnet ▁susp ended ▁with ▁a ▁mark ing ▁device ▁above ▁the ▁roll , ▁to ▁record ▁actual ▁earth ▁motion ▁during ▁an ▁earth qu ake . ▁The ▁scale ▁takes ▁into ▁account ▁the ▁instrument ' s ▁distance ▁from ▁the ▁ep ic enter , ▁or ▁the ▁point ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁that ▁is ▁directly ▁above ▁the ▁earth qu ake ' s ▁origin . ▁ ▁Rich ter ▁chose ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁term ▁" m agn itude " ▁to ▁describe ▁an ▁earth qu ake ' s ▁strength ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁early ▁interest ▁in ▁astronom y ; ▁st arg az ers ▁use ▁the ▁word ▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁bright ness ▁of ▁stars . ▁G uten berg ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁scale ▁be ▁log arith mic ▁so ▁ ▁an ▁earth qu ake ▁of ▁magnitude ▁ 7 ▁would ▁be ▁ten ▁times ▁stronger ▁than ▁a ▁ 6 , ▁a ▁hundred ▁times ▁stronger ▁than ▁a ▁ 5 , ▁and ▁a ▁thousand ▁times ▁stronger ▁than ▁a ▁