What measure do scientists use to see what amount of earthquake releases is magnitude?

Scientists use the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale (Mw) to quantify the amount of energy released by an earthquake, referred to as its magnitude. The moment magnitude scale is now more commonly used as it provides a more accurate measurement, especially for larger earthquakes, by considering the fault area and the amount of slip. Magnitude is a logarithmic measurement, meaning that each whole number increase represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and approximately 31.6 times more energy release.