Whose work created the first widely used earthquake magnitude scale?

American seismologist Charles F. Richter developed the local magnitude scale in 1935 while working with Beno Gutenberg at Caltech. The scale provided a standardized way to compare the size of earthquakes using seismograph readings. Although people often say any quake is a 'Richter earthquake,' modern seismology usually uses moment magnitude instead for larger events. Still, Richter's scale was a major breakthrough because it made earthquake reporting much more consistent. It remains one of the most famous scientific scales ever created.