An earthquake is measured on the Richter Scale, which was created by seismologist Charles Richter in 1935. The scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake based on the amplitude of its seismic waves. Each increase of one on the Richter scale represents a tenfold increase in the strength of an earthquake. The Beaufort Scale, on the other hand, measures wind speed and sea conditions, while the Saffir-Simpson Scale measures the intensity of hurricanes.